The Golf Guy: Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

By Bobby Restivo

This book will hopefully help you enjoy the history of a game that has been in experimental stages for centuries. Dating back, a rock was used in place of a golf ball and soon followed by a wooden ball, and then the game has been played on rocky hills and mud holes, utilizing six assorted locations in which they needed to score at by finally hitting a ball like object into the designated holes.

In this book, I will talk about the different parts of the brain that affect a golf swing as well as the physical and emotional barriers of the body, no matter if it is a PGA pro golfer or a beginner. I will talk about what is needed physically and mentally to accomplish a proper stance, swing path, follow through, and most of all, rhythm. This is to ensure you not only can enjoy the game but you will also be able to train your body to understand the messages the brain sends to the muscles, which are enabling you not just in golf but in life as well.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jan 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781982219994

Bobby Restivo

Bob Restivo is a national golf strength and fitness pro instructor who has played in numerous professional and celebrity tournaments. His passion for golf and strong life values involving a healthy body and mind along with family happiness are represented as an author, instructor and owner of the golf guy store. He gre up overcoming the adversities of ADD and OCD by learning and playing the sport of golf. This has helped him instruct and guide all golfers from the beginner to the advance and professionals of all ages including the young, old and mental challenged; to not only learn or improve their game, but to also live a happy life through body and mind. On the course as an instructor, in his books and at his store he specializes in strength and fitness, muscle memorization, mind disorders such as ADD, OCD and ADHD, focusing on tips to overcome life’s obstacles on and off the golf course.

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Copyright © 2019 Bobby Restivo.

Interior Graphics/Art Credit: Robert Restivo

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-1998-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-2000-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-1999-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019900456

Balboa Press rev. date: 01/24/2019

Contents

Acknowledgements

Disclosure

Preface

Chapter 1 Healthy Swing

Fueling the Body Correctly

Exercising the Body and the Mind

A Diet of Do’s and Don’ts for a Golfer

Chapter 2 Swinging with the Brain

Head Games

Stress Body and Brain

The Power of Confidence

Chapter 3 Breathing the Swing

Breathing for the Body and the Brain

Lungs and Respiratory

Timing and Rhythm

Joint Movement

Chapter 4 Strength

Posture and Muscles

Vertebrate and Vertebra

Working Muscles

Yes, Positive Attitude

Uneasy

Chapter 5 What Makes the Body Run?

Ambidextrous

Glands

Internal Game

Key Motion Movements

Fitness and Training

Chapter 6 Proper Stance

Grip and Ball Position

Alignment

Open Stance

Movement

Upper Body Motion

Chapter 7 High Irons

Bunkers and Sand Traps

Rough Shots

Chipping and Using the Bounce

Club Speed

Chin Position

Lay Ups and Lofts

Wedges and Water Holes

Chapter 8 Mid Irons

Head, Hands, Heels and Hips

Draws

Fade

Cut Shot

Knock Down Shot

Chapter 9 Driving it Home

Jitters on the Tee

Narrow Fairways

Tee Shot Direction

Elevated Tee Boxes

Ball Flight

Low Irons

Chapter 10 On the Dance Floor

Breathing Body and Brain

Mental Visualization and Muscle Memorization

A Game of Vee’s

Putting Stance and Eyes

Quiet Thoughts and Happy Places

Yes, I Can do This

Zero Handicaps

The 4 H’s (Head, Hands, Heels and Hips)

A- Alignment

B- Bunkers, Ball Flight and Bounce

C- Chipping, Club Speed and Chin

D- Distance and Draws

E- Elevated Shots

F- Fades, Footing and Fairways

G- Grip and Ball Positioning

H- Hook, Hips, Head, Hands and Heals

I- Iron Shots

J- Jitters on the Tee

K- Knock Down Shots

L- Lay Up and Loft Shots

M- Movement

N- Narrow Fairways

O- Open Stance

P- Putting and Pushing

Q- Quiet Thoughts Happy Place

R- Rough Shots Rhythm

S- Sand Trap Slices

T- Tee Shots and Direction

U- Upper Body Motion

V- A Game of Vee’s

W- Water holes and Wedges

X- eXcellence

Y- Yes I Can do This

Z- Zero Handicaps

Helpful Hints

Quick Fix Tips

Knowing the Lingo

Proper Grip Installation

Driving Tips

The Game of Vee’s

Brain and Body at Address

Target the Green

Parts of the club

Taking a Stroke

Dos and Don’ts Exercises

Strength Tips

The Four F’s

Breathing

Diet

Distance

High Iron Sweet Spot

Percentage of Times the Clubs Are Used

Electrolytes

Attire

GHIN (Golf Handicap and Information Network)

Score Card

Rules and Regulations

What is a GSF Instructor?

Who is the Golf Guy?

How Did the Golf Guy get Started?

Practice Range

What is the Deal with the Noise?

What is Your Brain Doing?

Notes and Reminders to Carry in Your Bag

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to,

My beautiful daughters Jenelle and Nichole, for being the best daughters a father could ever hope for with love and support.

My Brother Jack has done so much to help make my life prosperous.

Peter Ross, a man of great wisdom and a good friend. Thanks Peter for all you have done for me.

Kimberly Restivo, an outstanding Mother and friend.

My Dad, who made me understand, a mistake is only a mistake, until you refuse to rectify it. Rest easy, dad.

My Mother Anna Restivo devoted her entire life to her family, making all things possible to be achieved.

My Brother David, who has done so much to keep our family a whole.

My Students, for all of your words of encouragement. With a special thanks to a few of many students, Carmine Depetrillo, Lyle Hill and Ray V. Raybo for your continuing support over the years. As well as friends who helped in the everyday motivational problems every golfer has and the cross training altercations of weightlifting to low impact training.

A special thanks to Ron Hongenburg for his universal talent in weightlifting as well as golf. His highly promising, and enthusiastic training of Perfect Practice that he passes on.

The PGA and USGA: Rules and Regulations. Golf Digest, Golf Monthly, Callaway, Ping, and so many others who support the game of golf nationally and internationally. I would like to thank all of them, for their helpful tips and encouragement along with the entire Golf Community worldwide.

Thank you All

Disclosure

All advice presented throughout these chapters are strictly based on the authors opinion. Although exercising is very important, the exposure to injury does exist. Always consult with your doctor or physician to be sure your physical being is not interrupted through any of progressive training or exercises that may endanger any existing treatments you are currently undergoing. Remember if you experience any feeling of chest pain when exercising, during any type of body rotation and or body movement listed here in these chapters; Stop immediately and consult a doctor or physician.

As in all work out programs; Golf strength and Fitness training involves an overload of certain muscles and joints, tendons, ligaments and cartilages. So, it is very, very important to be sure you stretch before you begin any exercise, core rotation or workout program.

Preface

There are hundreds of books and instructional videos that talk about the dos and don’ts, as well as the ups and downs of a game, dating back centuries. So many people take an interest in a game that is hundreds of years old. But, very few take an interest in learning to play it the correct way.

You will find through this book, I use the comparison of driving a car in different scenarios and preparations as in golf, no matter if physical or mental. It is important to understand and practice the correct movements and thoughts of golf swing both mentally and physically.

The mind can be trained correctly to think in a variety of positions and directions without hesitation or reservation in which they are not customary to do during the everyday thought and movement pattern of the human body. Most people move a certain way every day. They walk the same, day in and day out. They lift their hands to eat, drink, write letters, waving to their loved ones leaving for work every day the same way.

The repetitive muscle movement is crucial in golf and is implemented through memorization of the muscles. Muscle memorization is basically a thoughtless movement or reaction by the muscles. This is when the brain takes a break. The brains Motor Cortex goes to work sending neural commands from the Motor Cortex to the muscles, thus allowing a quick response and movement from the body. Because these movements are a part of your everyday living; these thoughts, actions and movements come from the part of the brain that stores our sub conscious actions. This allows muscle memorization to take over and the brain to be on standby for that period of time, but not sleeping. The brain is on standby for those quick reactive moments that are not part of the mental and physical demands the body and brain are challenged with each day.

Such as a quick response to breaking when a child runs out in front of your car, or a split action decision to move your hand up in the air to catch a ball when someone yells heads up at you. Within a blink of