Dear Blog,

        Today it was rainy and damp, so I didn't want to go out and practice like I said earlier. I have emailed my second mentor about having a second lesson, and so we are going to have another lesson next week. I am really excited about that! So for this week, I read a few articles: What to Expect from a Golf lesson and Re-program Your Mental Game in Golf. Then I found a website about Exercises and Stretches one can do to improve their game.
       It was interesting to read the article about the golf lesson, considering that I have had one already. The instructor pretty much followed the game plan listed in the third link below. I had a great time at my lesson because I felt like I learned so much. My lesson went like this: meet the instructor, show the instructor how I swing a short iron, instructor corrects my mistakes, and then slowly progress me to swinging longer clubs like a wood as he tries to fix my swing at the same time. If you ever need a lesson, make sure you like the instructor because anything you do you should enjoy.

            Remember: This tip comes from this website: http://golf.about.com/od/golftips/a/reprogram.htm

"Getting mad at yourself over a lack of performance is non-productive and can erode your confidence. The human body is not a machine. Some days it works better that others, and for many different reasons.

So when you see yourself starting to get mad or losing your focus, think to yourself, "I did the best I could, given all the circumstances," and let it end there.

My point is simple: Stop putting yourself down. Think about the things you are telling yourself on the course. Ever heard the expression, "What you eat, you are?" Well, "what you think, you are."

Everything you tell yourself is programming, so make it productive. Choose carefully what you think about. Don't work against yourself.

Most negative dialogue is a bad habit that you can change. You start first by listening to what you are telling yourself, recognizing the negative and working to put an end to the negative. Once you start, it's easy to change your internal dialogue to focus on the things you want to achieve.

The instant you hear yourself starting up the negative stuff, say to yourself, "stop," and don't allow yourself to finish the negative thought. Now change that negative into something productive."

Links to the articles I read:
http://golf.about.com/od/golftips/a/golf-lessons.htm
http://golf.about.com/od/fitnesshealth/tp/golffitness.htm

Some pictures that I forgot to post about gripping the club: