The Countdown Begins...

Well, I leave in only 4 short days! I will be heading down to Brownsville, Texas for the Historic Brownsville Open. If you don't know where Brownsville is, look on a map. It is located where the Gulf of Mexico, the country of Mexico and Texas meet. Oh boy. Needless to say, I have a long trek ahead of me but years of driving Denver to Memphis have seasoned me.

My practice the last couple weeks has been awesome. I really feel productive opposed to just being out there mindlessly hitting balls. For me, it has always been a struggle to keep a purpose and practice with consequence. I keep it interesting with little games or challenges for myself. That makes time fly by and before you know it the challenge is complete and it's time to go home! I went to see Eli about my putting alignment and feel really good about it now. Sometimes, it's easy to groove a bad habit and for a set of eyes watching intently on good technique helps tremendously! It definitely avoids hours of grooving that bad habit!

I will be gone for about a month playing in three tournaments. I am very excited to start playing and getting back into that atmosphere. It is something I crave when I practice and knowing the feeling of competing on a high level also helps make practice productive becuase you want to be prepared for those high-pressure events. I feel that I have succeeded in my preparation and I am ready.

What I am reading: The American Plague by Molly Caldwell Crosby
What I am listening to: Tusk - Fleetwood Mac

New Toys

I picked up my new Titleist AP2 irons yesterday from Hotstix [Robert] at the Colorado Golf Academy. They are fantastic. I hit them extremely well and fired a little 72 to welcome them to the bag. I didn't notice a ton of difference in the new grooves, especially out of the rough but it will be more noticeable in the wedges. Those won't come into play until May.

My new irons are 2* upright and my old ones were standard. The newbies are a tad lighter, and less stiff. My other irons had all different shaft frequencies and the 8, 9 irons were stiffer shafts than my 4, 5, 6 irons. Not good. They also have a .600 round grip opposed to the .580 [standard] for my little hands. Altogether it creates more feel and workability for my swing. It was noticeable yesterday, that's for sure.

What I am reading: The American Plague by Molly Caldwell Crosby

Exciting News + Update

First of all, I am proud to announce a new partnership with LEFT HAND BREWING COMPANY. I am so excited about this as it something I love from my hometown and cannot wait to promote around the country! I will be sporting their logo on my hat, as well as my shirt. Thank you Left Hand for your support!!

Things have been going great lately. I spent some time on the course on Tuesday before it snowed. A quick nine holes followed by some technique on the range until it started raining sideways. Since, I have been writing some sponsor letters, and honing my mental game. I finally finished Your 15th Club. In the book it says to write down affirmations so I have been compiling something that I can take on the road but still colorfully displays the positive things that should be flowing through my brain at all times. By reading them every day, it is a small reminder what I am supposed to be focused on while I practice/play. 

My new sticks should be here any day. I got my balls and gloves on Tuesday. I am so excited to get them and take them down to Robert so he can fix them up for competition. It will depend on how they perform on the golf course if I will take them down to Texas. The FUTURES Tour does require conforming grooves but the actual rule isn't in effect until July.

The countdown is just a mere 22 days away. I will be doing the drive in two days, stopping and relaxing in Ft. Worth with my best friend for a day/dinner to hang out and catch up. I will need to stop anyway becuase the drive is 22.5 hours. Yikes!

What I am reading: Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
What I am listening to: Mercy Me - Spoken For

Not A Cloud In the Sky....

Man, the two weeks have just been amazing outside. So sunny, creeping up to 60* temps, couldn't ask for better weather in March! Yesterday I played Fox Hill, my first full 18 holes there this year and shot 67. I was pretty jazzed about it. I have been playing really well lately and of course LOVING IT! I have put in some hard work the last two weeks and will continue to do so, weather permitting. The countdown is on till my first event in Rancho Viejo, Texas.

Meanwhile, I am still raising money and looking for sponsors so I can make this happen. This has been an exciting journey so far, and it really hasn't fully started yet. There are so many people that have been awesome in supporting me and I just wanted to say thank you. You guys rock.

What I am Reading: Golf's Sacred Journey by Dr. David Cook
What I am Listening To: We Are Loved - David Crowder Band

Heat Wave!

The last couple days have been out of this world in terms of weather. I played 18 at Green Valley Ranch on Wednesday afternoon and it felt like a warm summer evening. A little break from the arctic we have been enduring for the last couple months. There was a front that moved in and out this morning so I spent some time at the gym while it was chilly.

Wednesday I spent some time, and by some time, I mean some time at Colorado Golf Academy getting fit for some new conforming grooves! I got a full fit from Hot Stix. It was really fun and super informative thanks to the guru, Robert. I was finally open to the idea of a hybrid, I'm an iron girl myself, but not anymore! I am super excited to get my new sticks in my hands and start grinding with 'em. I'm ordering them hopefully next week! Titleist will definitely be loving my business seeing as I am using everything but their driver, including glove and ball. It is fantastic equipment and can't wait to start using it when I play.

Welp, off to go play and enjoy the sunshine!

One Great Philosophy

"Strive to be the best that you can be in your life and your pursuits. Make a commitment to always be better tomorrow than today. Accept that failure is part of life and is an opportunity to find a better way of doing things. Accept that the pursuit of excellence is a life long exciting journey of continual improvement and constant positive change. Pursue your dreams and your passions."

-Brian Willis CEO, Winning Mind Training Inc.

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For The Good of The Game

As the Olympics draw to a close I am saddened. Saddened becuase for these two weeks people see hard work pay off, dreams come true and character revealed. The Olympics display this better than any sporting event simply becuase they are founded on what sports are about. They are about heart, hard work, determination, perseverance, and the ability to side step and overcome obstacles whether they are personal or athletic related . If this doesn't inspire you, well you need to check yourself. There is no better feeling to an athlete than to see hard work pay off. It is one of the most indescribable feelings you can feel. You can't comprehend it until you feel it. For two weeks now, the world has seen these feelings captured on television. Watching from home, I can't help but feel restless and BEYOND excited to display my hard work. As an athlete there is no better feeling. I want to feel it again.

Don't get me wrong, it is not only these two weeks that I feel inspired. My goals are always on my mind. If you want to attain something greater you have to work constantly toward that goal covering all bases. There are times where giving up seems easier, or things you cannot control start to happen but that is not the time to give up, it is simply an opportunity to make you stronger. That is what the athletes in the Olympics go through. If you are an athlete it is what you go through to build these characteristics that complete you as a player. They are all necessary to mold you into the competitor you are when you compete.

There is no greater feat than to watch an athlete conquer his/her demons. The things that help you stray from your goal are essentially demons. Throughout the Olympics, athletes are stacked against their competition, people's expectations, their own expectations and it gets heavy to carry all of that without knowing that the way you have trained, and almost numbed yourself to get through that training, has helped create an armor to unleash your talent at the moment when it is all on the line. When you have it all to loose or all to gain. It is not the time to play it safe. All those hours grinding are not meant for a time where you try to just get by. They are meant for you to put it all on the line and take what you've worked for. When athletes fall it isn't sad, it seems empowering. Not because they lost but because they weren't afraid to fail. Things happen that are out of our control but the relentless pursuit of victory does not allow competitors to go in half hearted.

That's what I love about sports.

Typical Tuesday

Today I had a great session down at the Colorado Golf Academy. My swing is feeling really good, but more importantly I am fundamentally better than I have ever been before. I am really happy that all my hard work has solidified a great swing and it can just get better. I have never moved the golf club so efficiently and I am really excited to put this into contention and see how great it can get. I hit so many balls today I have blisters on my hands. I have never been so excited to see them.



What I am reading: The Fundamentals of Hogan by David Leadbetter and Lorne Rubenstein
What I am listening to: Flyleaf

Comeback 2.0

I am a huge fan of Lance Armstrong. His story truly inspires me. I have read all of his books and follow his Tour de France campaigns closely. I just got his newest book Comeback 2.0 about his 2008/2009 comeback to competitive cycling. I read it in about 2 hours. Ha. It's awesome. His work ethic and drive are incredible.

Best quote in the book: "For me, living life to the fullest is about testing myself, accepting challenges, training hard, and then going for it." -Lance Armstrong

Yes, please. 

Update

I got in some great practice last week and it has been showing in my lessons with Eli. He is a fantastic teacher and we connect well which helps a lot! I always look forward to the challenges he gives me during our lessons because they aren't easy. We are working on some great stuff and I have really noticed a difference in my ball striking. It has been a huge decision trying to find an instructor and the first one I tried has worked out beyond what I could have imagined!



I have also been trying out various Sandbagger Inc. shoes. They are so comfortable and look really edgy. I have been wearing them in the wet weather here in Colorado and they are holding up great. Here is the pair I am favoring right now.


My first event looks like it is going to be in Rancho Viejo, Texas April 19-25. I am really counting down the days till I leave. All the preparation during the off-season has me giddy to get back to tournaments. I have been working really hard on the course and off to be ready to go. Mentally it has been my strongest off-season so I am very pleased and beyond excited!

Art

My older brother Aaron is an esteemed artist (among other impressive talents) and a doctoral student at Princeton University. Here is his guinea pig cartoon of me playing golf. I love it.
[drawing by Aaron Hostetter as seen on his blog]
He drew it 2 years ago, but I just found it and figured I'd share. Enjoy!

Result vs. Process

Awesome day in Colorado today! I was on the range by 9am! No frost, just a little sunshine to keep me company. It was fantastic. Hoping for some more days like today!

When I was working on the range today, I was thinking to myself that if people were watching the drill I was doing right now, they would be thinking to themselves, "what is she doing out there?", "might as well not hit balls". Haha. Well I just laugh to myself because those people are RESULT orientated.

Golf requires practice right? Yes. But why would you practice your strengths? That is what silences people when they criticize someone who isn't hitting it well or not making every putt, especially if they are a "pro". Well this was written with them in mind. If you have read any sort of mental game book they will tell you it is about how good your process is, not how good your result is. You can't control your result! Playing a game on natural surfaces might be one the most inconsistent and frustrating things about the game. However, it is what makes the game truly unique. It can cause a well executed golf shot to go wayward or end up in a hazard. That is simply why being mentally tough will get you to the highest level (along with some skill, no doubt).

So I'm there on the range doing my drill, and laughing at this phenomenon because you go to any proshop in America and there are guys playing cards or having a drink in the pub talking about this kind of stuff. But for any golfer it is not about your result it is about your process. So right now, as you might have guessed, I am working on my process. That's what is required of all good players that want to improve. Working on weaknesses and improving the process. The process is important. It saves you when your mind might be in an uncomfortable place. It has come through for guys down the stretch in majors on the PGA tour and the same with girls on the LPGA tour. Every good player knows that if you are in that unfamiliar territory your process/pre-shot routine will save you....if you have put in that work.

This was one of the hardest things for me to learn as a golfer in college. All I saw were results and before you have that mental turnaround, you are not going to play to your potential. Like I’ve said, I’ve seen it in almost every mental game book I’ve picked up but I don’t think it is emphasized enough. It’s a shame because when you have a round that is not result orientated, it’s so much easier to go out the next day and perform consistently if not better. Being process orientated will get you focusing on things that only you can control and that’s all you can do on the golf course. If you let yourself worry about things you can’t control, you might as well hang up the clubs and take up a new hobby.

For me, it is one of my goals to always stay with my process and perfect my process, not worry about my results.

Michael Jordan, one of the world's finest athletes in his day said, “I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.” It is one of the most solid statements an athlete can hold on to because it’s true.

February Golf in CO

Today looks like a perfect day! High of 44*! Perfect!
I am just waiting for some frost to melt and I will be heading out to Colorado National to get in some practice. Things with my swing have been going really well. Eli and I are still working hard on it building a solid foundation to carry me through the year. I am beyond excited to start playing and for the weather to start cooperating! Hopefully some more of this snow can melt. In the meantime, I will be playing around it! Yippee!

The Tough Part of My Job

Getting started has been tough. A lot has been required of me in terms of putting myself out there and cultivating relationships with different people. I have normally been a shy, modest person especially around people I barely know, but this has helped me to become more outgoing. However, not only am I working on my character, but meeting and forming great relationships. Support has always meant a lot to me. It helps like those times when you are out on the chipping green, rounding off hour 6 and you want to go home and take it easy. I remember people saying the occasional, 'great job', 'way to follow your dreams', or 'good luck with your season!'. Tiny things like that are not so tiny in my mind. They help tremendously!

It's hard being out there by yourself, sometimes. That support means a lot.

It's also great to have that support when things get rough or mentally exhausting. I've always said, you can't do something you love running on fumes. You just can't. There is no will or perseverance to get through something you don't truly have you heart set on.

It is also a challenge financially. I hate asking my own parents for money, I hate asking myself for money! It's just something I have a hard time doing. However, Central Elementary Spell-a-thon's helped a little! Haha. The fact is, I need a lot of money to travel around and play. There have been many that, by the grace of God, have given and I am so grateful for their contribution. However, to play a full season, I need the rest. I don't feel like it's my place to ask for money especially amidst catastrophes (Haiti) and the economic fiascoes going on in the US. I know I am facing a hard road financially in the economic state of the country, yet I will still press on.

A great family friend, who has been following me since I picked up a club at the ripe old age of 4 years old, has given tremendously thus far and couldn't be a bigger cheerleader. He is set on getting me out there and achieving my dreams. It is neat to see him giving back to someone, becuase he wished someone had done the same for him. I can't wait for the day when I can show someone the same grace and sense of giving he has shown me. I am eternally grateful.

Although, this road is hard, I am beyond excited to commence my journey. I hope that people will feel a need to help, anything helps, becuase I NEED HELP! I am not afraid to ask for it. :)


What I am reading: Modoc by Ralph Helfer
What I am listening to: Ke$ha - Animal

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TWITTER/TheRachelLarson


What I'm Reading: Your 15th Club by Dr. Bob Rotella
What I'm Listening To: Late Night Alumni - Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies Etc.  

Duramed FUTURES Tour 2010 Schedule

***Click to view schedule***

 

Rachel Alexandra: A Filly with a Whole Lotta Heart

What a great holiday season it was! Spending time with my family is always a great time and around the holidays makes it very special. I received a very cool gift this year. It is a 2009 bottle of Rachel Alexandra wine. If you are not familiar, Rachel Alexandra, besides being my first and middle name, is a Thoroughbred filly who won the Preakness Stakes in May 2009. She was the first filly (a female horse) to win in 85 years. She is a front runner which means she likes to either run out front the entire time or a stalker which is following the leader.

[Christmas Eve with my new bottle of Rachel Alexandra wine!]

I took notice of her in May when she had won the Grade I Kentucky Oaks (contests on Friday before the Kentucky Derby) by 20 lengths. That margin of victory is incredible. She went on to be a sleeper pick in the Preakness Stakes, the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown. All odds were against her, but whoever put money on her hopefully went straight to the bank with it! She competed from the 13th gate and currently is the only horse ever to win from the 13th gate. She went on to win 9 races in a row until her off-season.

It was so much fun to watch her race this summer. She is big for a filly but stands shorter than most of her fellow colt competitors. Following her campaign made me think of the sleeper pick which I might be in some tournaments this year. There are many parallels to how I have worked and the possible results that could become of this next year and to Rachel Alexandra's racing career. She is somewhere else I can draw confidence and inspiration from and to receive that gift meant I can look at it everyday. It was very special.

Too bad I have to let it age for 5 years....

What I'm Reading: Nancy Drew - The Bungalow Mystery
What I'm Listening To: Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster

Status

I have received my status for the 2010 Duramed FUTURES Tour. I will be a Non-exempt, Category C Rank #41. This essentially means I will get in to a majority of the tournaments and get priority over category C #42.

I have a lot of paperwork to do for setting up my membership but I am looking forward to it!

Early Mornings and Global Teammates

Since finishing college, one of the hardest things that I still have to adapt to is being a self-motivator. Playing as a team, working out as a team and doing things with a team constantly rid my habit of this. However, when I was on the team I still needed to be a self-motivator becuase of poor coaching my first three years. Before college, I was out at the course when it was 20 degrees out and there were only three cars in the parking lot. Now, after graduating, that doesn't sound to tempting if 4 or 5 other girls don't have to endure it either!

This thought process was sparked by my early wake up call at 7:30am this morning. My plan was to get to the gym by 8am and leave by 9:30am. I had a workout planned all I had to do was get up! Well, knowing myself like I do, I heard the alarm and slowly rolled out of bed at approximately 7:50 and got dressed and headed over there. In college, we had workouts at 6am, three days a week. I loved getting up early for those workouts. The great thing about them was that there was a trainer to have the workout planned and tell you when to do what. It's hard that early to get your brain moving as fast as our legs were!

Anyway, to workout so early today, made me miss enduring those hard workouts with my teammates. It definitely pushed me to be in better shape and get better rest at night. Now, I usually workout in the evenings becuase they aren't filled with school work (thank goodness!).

I guess you could say that now, after graduating, there are only a select few that are still playing maybe at an amateur level but definitely a select few that are playing at a professional level and those girls around the country getting up early and working out and then practicing or whatever they are doing to help their game, are my new teammates. We might not workout together or practice together, but I know they are working hard, and in order to keep up or pass them, I have to work just as hard if not harder. That is a great feeling knowing you are a part of a select few doing something that you absolutely love.

I think my self-motivating skills are coming back and being honed more than ever. Gotta keep practicing them though! :)

What I'm Reading: The Golfer's Mind by Dr. Bob Rotella
What I'm Listening To: Breaking Benjamin - We Are Not Alone Here