About Denise Hatch:

For 25 years Denise Hatch has been teaching in the fields of clinical hypnotherapy, nutrition, yoga, and exercise physiology. She is the creator of the Mind Muscle Connection which uses the natural states of suggestibility to reprogram the subconscious mind.

Denise graduated from the University of North Carolina where she competed in springboard and tower diving with an All-American status.

In 1997, Denise relocated from Northern California to Scottsdale Arizona when she married her husband Steve who races motor-cycles professionally. Since then, she has worked with athletes, both amateur and professional in many different arenas.

Having been an athlete, married to an athlete and worked with the athletic mind for years, Denise is a master programmer when it comes to the mind in sports.

Denise has appeared on nationally televised programs and continues to travel, nationally and internationally giving presentations, classes and instruction. Denise can be reached by email: denise4health@aol.com

Teaching Philosophy:
"There is no elevator to golfing success; you have to take the stairs." This approach to teaching golf has worked well for me over the years. I take this approach with every golfer, whether it be a beginning golfer or a scratch player. I like to keep things simple with a common sense approach to learning.

Career highlights:
Became the 71st PGA Master Professional on June 1, 1990. Received the 1991 National Clubfitter of the Year Award from Golf Shop Operations Magazine.
Instructor at PGA Club Repair Workshops from 1983 to 1991. Co-wrote the Illinois PGA Teaching Manual. Received the 2000 Illinois PGA Teacher of the Year Award. Rated as one of the top teachers in the Midwest by Golf Magazine in 2005. Rated in the top ten teachers in the state of Illinois by Golf Digest in 2005.

• In a Nutshell - K.R.
• Golf Galaxy January Discount Coupon
• Get in Golf Shape this Winter - Fitness Tip - K.R.
• Mental Tip -Denise Hatch, guest contributor
• Golf Tip -Golf Galaxy pro John Green, guest contributor
• Video on Shoulder Mobility- Katherine Roberts
• Recipe: Crab-Corn Chowder
• Upcoming Events

In a Nutshell:

On and off the golf course our body responds to what the mind tells it. Even if we smile on the outside and have a negative inner dialogue you cannot lie to your body. It always hears the truth.

For example, when your mind tells your body to succeed, you stand over a putt, take the time to visualize the ball following your line, the sound you hear is the sound of the ball hitting the bottom of the cup.

As the New Year is upon us, make a commitment to practice visualization every morning: Before rising, take the time to visualize what you want to create in your life. See your intention in your mind’s eye, feel it in your body and breathe it into your cellular structure.

Miraculously you will begin to see your intention show up in your life.

My wishes for you are good health, happiness and prosperity in 2007!

In great golf,
Katherine

Get in Golf Shape this Winter: Building Strength
by Katherine Roberts

Internally revolve the left leg and place the left foot at a forty-five degree angle. See photo. Bring the right elbow to the right knee and extend the left arm towards the ceiling. Revolve the ribcage towards the ceiling. Do not allow the right shoulder to sink towards the right ear. Hold for five breaths.

What a great friend! If we all had someone to keep us in check and make us aware of our preconceived ideas, our bad habits and behaviors, we might become better golfers. The most important part of staying present is to recognize, become aware of, that which keeps us from being present.

Some of the best athletes in their sports have the ability to shake off a bad shot, or game and be fully present for the next. It has to be that way for a game to be one of enjoyment, and if you aren’t enjoying the game, why play it? When the joy of the game is lost, so is the ability to play it well.

The best way to stay present...BREATHE and replace those ideas and behaviors that get in way with ideas and behaviors that make the game better and more joyful. The next time you make a shot that is not to your liking, laugh at it. Recognize what may have made it bad. Take a deep breath and move forward in your thinking to your next shot, go through pre shot set up and most important...HAVE FUN!

Golf Tip from John Green: Turn Don't Lift on Your Backswing

The first area where lifting the arms can occur is early in the backswing. This is a common issue for golfers in the northern climates in the springtime. Lack of flexibility that develops over the winter will cause the golfer to use more arms rather than turn the upper body. The end result? If they don’t turn on the backswing and get their body coiled up, how are they able to make a turn (uncoil) on the downswing?

The second area where lifting the arms can occur is after the backswing turn is completed; the arms will keep moving. This can create a backswing that can be viewed as being too long; traditionally past parallel with the ground.

When this happens there is a very good chance the golfer will be leaning towards the target with too much body weight on their front foot, traditionally called a reverse pivot. If a golfer turns their upper body on the backswing, the weight of the body tends to move to the back foot and stays there on the backswing. Then, on the downswing, it will be transferred, or shifted to the front foot. The key with turning on the backswing is to turn only as far as you can, and then there is no need to go any further with the arms.

tonyrobertsphotography.com

Recipe: Crab and Corn Chowder

This recipe was the by-product of one of best rounds of golf of my life...

Uncle Jim’s wife, my Aunt Sally, (whose age and handicap will remain unknown…I’m no fool as she is the best cook I know) passed this recipe on to me. I revised the recipe slightly because my family likes more “heat” in our food than my Aunt Sally.

This recipe is the winter version of the chowder utilizing yams and cinnamon, the summer version uses white Idaho potatoes and the spices of your choice. Here we go!

• 2-3 Fresh jalapeños, chopped with the seed removed
• 1 Clove of garlic
• 1 Small piece of ginger root
• 1 Stick of Butter (when I visited Ireland and tasted the butter I have never gone back….if you cannot find Irish butter use any quality European-style cultured butter)

Dice the following in separate bowls:

• Two large onions
• Four large carrots
• Five stalks of celery
• Three ears of fresh corn with the kernels removed from the cob (use two cans of corn if fresh cobs are not available...please do not use frozen corn)
• Two small yams
• 1 Lb. dungeness crab meat: I use canned LUMP crab meat (If you have access to Costco purchase one can of lump crab meat)
• 3 cans of Organic chicken broth
• 2 cups of Skim milk
• Cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste.

For a thickening emergency use Wondra flour.

In one large pot, sauté a small amount of butter with the jalapenos, garlic and ginger root. Add the carrots, (cook for five minutes) then add the celery, onion and corn.

Saute until al dente. Add two cans of chicken broth and one cup of milk. Reduce heat to simmer and add chicken broth until the ingredients are slightly covered by the broth.

In a separate pot, cook the diced yams until al dente and drain. Set aside.

In a sauce pan,gently sauté the crab meat in a few Tablespoons of butter. Note: be gentle with the crab meat, do not bruise or break up the meat.

Add salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste.

Drain the butter off the crab meat and add the crab meat, yams and vegetables into the large pot, add the remaining chicken broth and milk and simmer for twenty minutes (or until the ingredients seem mature).

One of my favorite tools in the kitchen is the Braun Wand thickener tool. It is great for thickening the ingredients while maintaining the integrity of the dish.

If you do not have this kitchen tool use a fork to mash the yams to thicken the consistency. If this does not do he job use Wondra Flour to thicken the sauce.

My husband loves this served with a great multi-grain bread and it is a favorite during football season…and of course for the new 2007 golf season.

Recipe by Katherine Roberts.

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