Michelle Wie – Doing It Right!

I am happy to say that I couldn’t be happier to see Michelle Wie win her first LPGA tournament this past week. In one year, she’s gone from a painful feel-bad story to a very instructive feel-good story.

I first saw Michelle play when she was just an eighth-grader and made it to the final pairing with Annika Sorenstam and Carrie Webb at the Kraft Nabisco in Palm Springs . It was evident immediately that she has Tiger-like talent, physique, potential and appeal. What wasn’t Tiger-like has been the path she was on, failing to come up through the ranks of junior and amateur golf and then trying to skip over the LPGA straight onto the PGA tour. Where Tiger had excellent parenting and tutelage, it seemed Michelle was being terribly misguided and ultimately fell off course (literally!).

I believe where Michele Wie went very right was in going to Qualifying School last December. Having exhausted sponsor exemptions and missed every PGA cut (with scores into the 80s), she did what everyone has to do, regardless of their talent or celebrity: she raised herself through the ranks.

Michelle played well and succeeded at Q-School - a huge accomplishment that both prepares and warrants a player getting out on tour. Then she earned her way onto the Solheim Cup team, and was a shining undefeated star. It really warmed my heart not only to see her play so well, but to finally be a girl among the girls, making friends and socializing and enjoying herself as a young woman amongst her peers. Great talent, low scores and lots of money are all wonderful, but there’s no substitute or skipping over camaraderie, acceptance and earning one’s own way in life.

Michelle Wie’s win in Mexico , and the outpouring of love and support coming her way, is to me a story not just of fine golf but of things still being right in the world. Just 1-2 years ago people were shaking their heads in dismay and even disgust as they watched her flounder. Now, from Q-School to weekly LPGA tour play to the Solheim Cup to winning the much-beloved Lorena Ochoa’s event, Michelle has redeemed herself. In the process she has let us all know that people still prefer to be positive, to forgive, and to love their heroines. Integrity is the big winner here!

Centered Golf Central

With blogging and social media all the rage in today’s hot techno-age, its nice to remember that their appeal really comes from a very basic timeless need we all have: just to be in touch!

I’m very fortunate that my days are filled with all kinds of great people, ideas, insights, experiences, events … so it’s great to have a blog to share them with you.

During July-August I’ll be traveling all over Israel, then back to the U.S. East Coast and Midwest. Teaching, competing, giving talks and clinics, also working with our Middle East Aikido Project and PeaceCamp Initiative. My students and friends all say they want to jump into my suitcase, and I'd love to take everyone along.

So please check here for reports from the road, and juicy KiAi Golf tips for you to be in top form this summer. This is Centered Golfing Central, wherever I or you may be. Here’s to a great summer full of great adventures, great golfing and literally all kinds of fun and success!

Centered Contact...

Centered Contact is the bottom-line crux of a good golf shot. To reach your desired distance and direction, you’ve got to get the “sweet spot,” or vibrational center, of the club face striking the golf ball. For most golfers, centered contact is only a random occurrence. They sometimes hit fine sweet shots, then are shocked by nasty shots, inconsistency and blow-up holes.

Its really not so bewildering. Think about it: If you get centered at address, develop a swing that is properly sequenced and centered, and maintain centered balance from address to follow-through … your chances for Centered Contact go way up! That means your percentage of conscious, consistent, quality shots goes way up – and your scores go down.

Just as one plus one equals two, Centered + Centered = Centered Shots. Being and staying centered is probably the single most powerful thing you can do to improve your swing and scores. Make it your mantra and see what happens - on and off the golf course.

Hello Golfers of The World!

My name is Jamie Leno Zimron. I'm a class A LPGA Teaching Pro and 5th Degree Aikido Black Belt based in southern California. Welcome to what I intend to be the most interesting and helpful golf blog you'll find out here in the cyberlinks.

Why? Because face it, for all the fantastic advances in technology, 24-7 golf on TV, endless tips, every imaginable golf gizmo and gadget under the sunshine ... even USGA stats show golf handicaps going down by only a fraction at best. Most golfers just are not getting better at any greater rate, or feeling any less frustrated, than they ever have before. And despite the golf industry’s well-placed focus on “Growing The Game,” the entry-attrition rate of people playing golf has basically stayed the same through the years and even fallen with the economic recession.

My point is this: THERE IS A MISSING LINK IN OUR APPROACH TO IMPROVEMENT ON THE LINKS. Sorry to mix metaphors, but we’re somehow missing the boat! It shouldn’t be news to anyone that we need to come at golf from fresh perspectives.

Here’s where this blog comes in: to honestly bring you practical new ways to see and enjoy the game and actually play better golf. It’s what my “r-evolutionary” east-west approach to instruction, is all about. I call it KiAi Golf, or Centered Golfing. (www.kiaigolf.com)

You are guaranteed to find insights and information to make immediate positive differences in your swing, game and scores. This isn’t marketing hype. It’s “the real things” you need that have been missing, culled from the best of martial arts, psychology, fitness, and peak performance training. KiAi Golf is integrated and holistic, based on time-tested wisdom and the latest leading-edge research and knowledge.

So welcome and stay tuned.
You’ve got nothing to lose but strokes!!