Shuyan's golfing journey

importance of a good mentor

2011-01-22T09:54:00.000-08:00

sometimes it is much easier to go through life with a mentor to show you the ropes, share valuable experience and encourage you when you feel demoralised. if you find yourself easily discouraged and don't feel good enough, then maybe you need to work on confidence and self esteem issues. but often, a good mentor that is willing to guide and support you through can be very beneficial. someone more experienced can see your potential and encourage you not to give up when you feel like nothing is going your way.

emphasis on WILLING and wanting you to improve and do well

not right

2010-10-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

something's not right when you have no reason to wake up in the morning
your dreams are about running away and hiding from some people trying to kill you
the days seem meaningless to experience
the nights feel too long and lonely
celebrating your birthday doesn't excite you
the thing that once motivated you feels distant
you just want to be left alone by the people closest to you

i dream of being on the cover of FHM

2010-09-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

I think of the Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice and how she became so famous after winning a gold medal at the recent Olympic Games. She did a lingerie spread in a magazine and was really hot because she's a swimmer !

heehee i've also been inspired by the Korean singer Lee Hyori who at the age of 31 looks really really good. similiar to Vivian Hsu who just gets more and more sexy as she gets older. I aim to be a famous Singapore golfer and one day get onto the cover of FHM. even though i often look at the girls on the cover and think 'they're not that hot' , it's still an amazing feat to be there.

you can be fit and toned shuyan ! awesome hot golfer on the cover of FHM COME ON ! haha

I HAVE MY DRIVING LICENSE !!!!

2010-09-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

ok not the real card yet but they gave us this slip of paper that says ' you are allowed to drive while waiting for your driving license' lol

i'm so pleased with myself for passing on the first attempt and only getting 8 demerit points !! muah haha i was quite worried because i didn't do a U Turn and went back to school. i thought it was a sign that i failed and didn't need to finish the test route. so my heart was beating like crazy while waiting for the result. tadah !! he came in with a big smile !!!!!!!

yupp yupp maybe it's cos they are nicer to girls and thanks to tong who advised me to dress 'more hot' (his words not mine)
woke up especially early to get ready and get myself settled for the test.

the tester was actually quite nice, not like the mean ones you often hear from other people who fail. i'm just so lucky ! no correct that, i'm such a good driver :)

neo passed me his extra P plates so i was lucky enough to get them by today in time to drive everyone for dinner and home ! didn't park the car in the house yet. dad says i have to practice in the day time first.

my dad is so cool ! he wants me to learn the singapore map first before i'm allowed to drive out. testing me tomorrow. hmm hope there's no trick questions lol

i regret not paying more attention to learning the expressways during geography class. grrr

i'm sounding so disorganised but i'm just so overwhelmed with excitement on passing the driving test !! yayyyy
can't wait till i'm confident enough to drive by myself :)

i feel like a new person, the new shuyan with a driving license !! everything is so exciting and fresh again ! there is new found energy :in my life !

You are not defined by your personality

2010-09-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

I've been reading this book called 'Reinventing Yourself' and i really like how he describes that people do not need to be their personality. They can behave in any way they want at any time. I thought about it and find it true because although i'm usually an optimistic person, there are times when i feel like a total grouch and wallow in self pity. I try my best to become more positive and change my negative energy into motivation to do something else.

Therefore, instead of saying that I have different personalities in different situations, which sounds a bit schizophrenic, i would like to be an inspiring person no matter how i choose to behave or think. I hope that even when i am in a bad mood in front of other people, they can be inspired by the way i bitch about something but get over it quickly, accept that it has happened and then move on. Inspire people by the way i try to be a sunshine to the people around me.

The analogy used is when you bump your knee hard against a table and there is a painful bruise.You don't let the pain consume your existence from then on, you endure the pain and carry on with what you have to do. You don't go around saying you are a bruised knee. You accept the pain and move on. Treat anything you are unhappy with in your life that cannot be controlled like the bruised knee. If you focus on it and sit down and cry, the pain will still be there but at the end of the cry-fest you would have accomplished nothing. When you accept the pain and continue with your normal activities, you find the pain soon becomes bearable or even goes away.

What you focus on gets stronger. Would you rather focus on pain or on things that make you happy?
They could be just small things but find time to be grateful for them and you too can become a more inspiring person.

SMILE !

direct reflection

2010-09-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

i think my blog about golfing is a direct reflection of the way i feel about golf. when i'm enthusiastic about playing and practicing, i update alot and even have inspiration to create polyvore collages. somehow the passion has been waning and it shows in this blog :( i don't update as often or as much as i would like.

i try to ask myself what i want to do from here on but i really don't know. i feel like i've gone back to a time when i don't even feel like being awake because i don't know what to do in my life. Making my whole life just about golf didn't make me happy, but not playing golf at all doesn't make me happy either.

My one motivation now is to get my driving license on Friday. That's in 2 days !! i'll have a new sense of achievement that will jumpstart me to create new desires.

One of my backup plans if i don't play professional golf was to become a golfing coach. I need to spend some time thinking over if it is something i will enjoy. sighs

the study system has made it so difficult for us to decide what to do in our lives. We work towards achieveing a qualification. good grades that we think can help us figure out what we are good at so we may go into that field in the future. but it doesn't allow us to seek our passion.

Speaking for myself, i did my degree in Finance and Marketing which i had no idea about before i started the course. I chose it because it sounded interesting and fun but i don't even know if it is something i like that much and an area i would want to work in.

Maybe it was the choices i made in secondary school. maybe most people are lost like me. everyone probably goes through the same process of discovering themselves and their goals in life. they just don't announce it to the whole world.

smile shuyan ! i am slightly lost right now but that does not define me. i know that i will be fine as long as i am happy.

never give up it's such a wonderful life !

2010-09-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

this is the original video of the song 'wonderful life' by hurt. the new video is more expressive but i like how the original video just captures the essence of the song and lets you get lost in the lyrics. although the dancing isn't as smooth as the new video, you get a very different feel from watching this one.

truly inspiring when i listen to the chorus
'don't let go, never give up it's such a wonderful life'

i always remind myself that i have to encourage myself but sometimes it gets hard to believe in yourself or even find the meaning to carry on

but being alive is such a wonderful thing ! there are endless opportunities and things to explore in this life. i know that no matter what, my life will be fulfilling and fun. even on days where i feel like i've lost my soul and essence.

Improve Your Putting Today

2010-09-13T04:37:00.000-07:00

I think i used to be a really bad putter. I would stand over a 3 footer and fear missing it. I was only confident of putts that required me to tap into the hole.

I feared going on the putting green because I knew there was a risk of 3 putting and getting a bogey if i didn't get my first putt near enough. Hitting greens on regulation didn't ensure me hitting pars and a good score at the end of the round.

Ever since i resolved to improve my putting and remove the fear of using the putter, I've been shooting scores in the low 80s and even a 79 on a good day !

I now have a new site dedicated on how to putt better providing putting tips for the golfer that wants to lower their golfing scores.

check out http://howtoputtbettertoday.blogspot.com/

Love being outdoors

2010-09-13T03:59:00.000-07:00

I love those moments where you're doing something and you just get this super nice feeling. This heartwarming feeling inside of peace and serenity. One such moment i hold dearly in my heart is when i finally got to play a round of golf after 2 weeks of rushing assignments and studying for tests. The freshness of being outdoors in the sunlight and surrounded by greenery made me so happy ! To be one with nature, just doing something simple as swinging the golf club and seeing the ball go in the direction you want it to gives you such a satisfaction that only a golfer would understand.

I want to find back that feeling. The anticipation of going out to the golf course and battling the conditions internal and external, feeling content that even if you don't do anything for the rest of the day you went out and played a good round of golf. That's all i'm looking for now, the excitement to wake up in the morning and play golf, improve that pitching or get more confident with my putting.

excited lim is back in business !!!

2010-09-08T03:39:00.001-07:00

whoo !
been in a slump for like a month (i'm guessing because that's how long it's been since my last post) but now i'm back in action !
no more distracted by random new 'interesting friends', no more feeling lousy about being unable to achieve goals because they were unrealistically set.

it's the new and improved me ! my new name is excited !
although i'm still figuring out my next step of action, i know that whatever i aim to do, i can !

I GET WHAT I WANT !

its raining !

2010-08-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

3 tips on playing golf in the rain

the dark clouds have been gathering all morning. i could feel the heat and humidity this morning and knew it would rain before noon. now i'm wondering if it will still be raining when i head out to play golf later. so here are 3 tips on how to maintain your golf game in the rain and wow your competitors by your nonchalance towards adverse weather.

1. prepare your wet weather gear
most importantly, a rain coat, an umbrella and a hat to protect you from getting too wet. it is important to keep yourself as dry as possible. you don't want to catch a cold halfway through the round. also avoid light colored bottoms because the ground is wet and you don't want to get mud splattered on your pants from walking or flying divots.

2. don't rush your putts
maintain your pre-putt routine of checking the break and adjust for whether the green will be faster or slower due to the rain. then make sure you are relaxed before putting. most people tend to ignore reading the break like they would in normal weather and try to hurry up so they can take shelter from the rain under the umbrella. doing this will see yourself 3 putting on more holes

3. enjoy the beauty of the rain and get more connected with nature
rain is all part of the water cycle. evaporation, condensation and then rainfall. a simple concept we learned at a young age that connects the earth (soil and plants), sky (clouds) and the sea. it is such an amazing process, yet we are too caught up with the rush of life that we take this for granted. rain brings water that is essential to our lives and without it the earth would be a sad place. i think of the places that are in drought and appreciate the weather in singapore. thank you rain for cooling our city !

follow these 3 tips of playing golf in the rain and you will see that your golfing score does not drastically increase from your usual score so you win your competitors !

working towards my next goal

2010-08-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

having achieved my goal of breaking 80 in a competition, i am starting to see the importance of setting goals because of the satisfaction you receive when you achieve them. although i still haven't fully gotten over the fear of setting goals because i fear i won't be able to follow through on them.

i am now working on my new and improved goal of playing a gross score of 75 and to make it more exciting, i set my goal to play 75 in the upcoming Singapore National Amateur Open.

i will do my best and focus on each hole instead of the outcome. whether or not i make it into the top 8 is irrelevant. taking it one shot at a time is more important. i can't allow myself to give up after the first 6 holes. even if i hit a bad shot, i will still do well. concentrating on connecting my conscious and subconscious to allow myself to get the ball to the target is the most important. i play my best by taking control of my thoughts and bringing myself into the zone to play my best !

i can do it ! it will be so awesome when i achieve my goal !

school rumble

2010-08-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

this is the ending song of school rumble season 2

i think its so cute and upbeat !
listening to it brightens up the dark sky that is getting more and more ominous

if i ever forget you i'm sorry

buffets give you power to play better golf

2010-08-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

i've been seeing all the advertisements for the new variety show on channel 5 called 'buffetlicious' and the food just makes my mouth water. sad to say, i haven't caught any of the episodes but i guess the idea of going to buffets have been feeding into my subconscious mind so this week i went to 2 buffets. i probably have the over-indulgence on good food to thank for my ability to hit the ball so well on saturday that led to my first time playing below 80 in a competition !

thursday night i enjoyed the crystal jade steamboat buffet, or more well known as the xiao long bao (xlb) buffet with the 'rojaks' ate 2 longs of xlb = 10 xiao long baos and super alot of other steamboat-y foods. i almost burst from the full-ness

friday night my mom treated me to the lobster buffet at the ritz carlton. i ate so much lobster, prawns, sashimi that i had to keep loosening my belt lol

people tend to really overeat at buffets thinking they must stuff themselves with as much food as possible in order to eat their money's worth. i find that i have devised a way to eat a large amount of food at buffets by eating slowly such that i am one of the last few people still eating dessert while everyone else is clutching their stomachs.

so if you are looking for a quickfix way to improve your golf score in an upcoming important competition, do consider stuffing yourself on buffets starting 2 or 3 days before the game.
you should see some improvement in that you will be able to hit your driver that 5 to 10 meters longer.

trust me.

goal 1 achieved ! broke 80 in a competition in august

2010-08-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

whoo hoo !! i'm so so so excited !
i bogeyed the 18th hole to finish with a gross score of 79 in the august monthly medal ! it feels wonderful to achieve one of my goals in just the first week of august !!

so many external reasons i can attribute to my wonderful score such as good weather, relaxed pace of play etc but i think the best part was that i was very focused on my game and was able to hit good shots, chip well and best of all i was putting really well. i will share the specific thoughts in the next few posts !

this is solely dedicated to celebrating my performance ! i went out and treated myself to these 2 beautiful rings that i've been eyeing since umm 3 days ago haha at least now i don't feel so guilty for buying them because i played well ! i look forward to lower and lower scores and aim to break even par soon :)

all the struggles have been worth it ! all the hard work is paying off and i am seeing myself achieve more and more of my abundant potential ! no longer does playing under 80 consistently sound like such a distant dream. i just need to recreate the conditions (internally especially) needed for myself to perform at my BEST !

keep going girl ! there can only be more and more steam to push forward !

this blog is funny !!

2010-08-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

fairwayfoxesblog

its dated 2006 but i think what is written is valid and humorous. check it out.
i especially like the part on choosing a beautiful caddy in thailand

"If you are bold enough, when you drive up and see a caddie you like, you can ask the starter if you can have that one. But come on, this is not a massage parlor."

check it out to see what i mean. if you are as humorous as i am, you will be laughing in your seat !!

3 ways to make golf improvement fun

2010-08-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

1. be kind to yourself

Einstein did not invent the lightbulb within one day. he worked and worked at it till he succeeded ! we are not robots. don't expect to see drastic improvements in one day. don't be so hard on yourself if you are unable to make changes immediately. feel happy that you are improving a little at a time. don't scold yourself, but instead give encouragement ! you are your best motivator !

2. play golf with a friend who is also committed to improving their golf and having fun at the same time

Majority of golfers complain about how lousy their golf is. they have a competition on who has the worst golf swing, who has the worst yips on the putting green. it is easy to sink into self pity when surrounded by people who only want to whine but do not want to do anything to improve their golf. try to play golf with someone who is encouraging to have fun together on the golf course ! it is more fun to work on improvement with someone going through the same things as you are.

3. eat and sleep well and keep hydrated

Dehydration, hunger and tired-ness are the big killers of patience. when you are thirsty, tired and hungry is when you are most likely to get angry and annoyed when you hit a bad shot or miss a short putt to win a hole. little do you know that the outburst of anger was due to the inability to control your emotions when you do not have enough fuel in your body to maintain the balance of emotions. eat 1-2 hours before your golf game, sip water every 3 holes or so and make sure you have enough rest at night to say good bye to crankiness !

have fun !!

how to make golf improvement fun part 2

2010-08-04T17:06:00.000-07:00

if you still do not agree with the importance of making golf improvement fun, this reason will blow your mind !

when you make golf improvement FUN, you are associating positive emotions with the process of working towards a lower golf score ! strong associations with a particular thing or emotion help you remember things better. you remember the way something makes you feel and if you feel strongly about it, then you will remember what caused that emotional reaction.

think of a particular restaurant you've been to recently. do you remember your experience there? was it because you enjoyed eating there or because you hated it ???
you can either have good or bad associations with the food, ambience and service at a particular food outlet. they may be equally strong. but wouldn't you prefer to have good thoughts in your mind. negative experiences stick with you and don't make you feel good. even recalling them makes you shudder and shake your head.

so the ideal is to have fun and create positive associations on your journey to playing a better golf score. especially if it is a long term goal that you have set to achieve. you would be much better off treating it as a fun and challenging game that keeps you hooked on seeing how good you can become !

we all enjoy doing fun things ! read on to get the 3 steps on funfy-ing your golf improvement

how to make golf improvement fun

2010-08-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

let me share 3 tips with you on how to make golf improvement fun !
when you introduce fun into your life, you feel better and you make it more enjoyable for the people around you. no one likes to spend time (even playing golf together) with a whiny golfer who complains about their golf game.

i understand truly how tough it is to work on a particular thing in your golf swing, or on pitching and see no results (or even see yourself deprove) it is very frustrating ! but when you get angry at yourself and the inability to make changes immediately, your body actually tenses up which makes it even harder for you to move your body differently. when your body is more flexible, it can rotate more easily and you are able to use the natural rhythm and grace of your body to swing well. when you are rigid and stiff, you are more susceptive to injury as well as aches and pains.

want to learn how to funfy your process of golf improvement ?
read on to my next post 3 ways to make your golf improvement fun

new word of the morning : funfy

2010-08-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

new word of the morning: funfy (fun-fy)

pronounced fun fie
(same way as in the end of satisfy)

definition: make something fun

used in a sentence:
it's so boring ! lets think of how to funfy this process !
lets funfy the morning by singing along to 'KINGS OF LEON'

hahaha i feel especially creative in the mornings after having a nice breakfast :)

determination

2010-08-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

i feel really proud of myself. proud of my decisions last night. LIKE SUPER DUPER PROUD because i was determined not to stay out late. and even more determined not to let my week's efforts of waking up early go to waste.

determination to work hard at improving golf doesn't just mean resolving to practice hard and work on things that may not feel comfortable at all. it also means making tough choices that are better in the long run for improvement. tough choices or sacrifices as you would like to think of them include staying focused on a plan to go to sleep early and waking up early to maximise your day.

yes i am human and do get tempted to spend a late night out with my good friends having a fun time, getting a few drinks and forgetting all my troubles but i feel good about my decision to go home to sleep. if not because i only slept for 4 hours the previous night, but because i already made a plan with myself to wake up at 6am.

i am filled with pride to announce to the world that i stuck to that plan. yippee for me !

in conclusion, determination doesn't only entail the direct actions you take to achieve your goals. it also comprises of the little things like making better decisions that will make it easier for you to do the things that can make your dreams come true. don't let your emotions take over your head. you can get over peer pressure ! do things that MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD !

life isn't ALWAYS fun and games. but you can treat the tough things like they are fun !

What YOU think

2010-08-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

Golf is a game where you compete against yourself. Just you and your weapons against 18 holes of green grass. When you worry about what others think of you, you lose your concentration on getting the ball to the target.

How can you hit a good shot if you're feeling jittery, worrying what others would think of you when you've hit a bad shot. You don't need to get approval from others. a bad shot doesn't mean anything. you can just as easily save par or make a birdie from a challenging position as a good position on the fairway if you have the right skills.

Hitting a bad shot is not a disaster that will ruin the world. So your own thoughts are the only thoughts that matter in golf. Stay positive and focus on how you are going to get the ball in the hole. bin those fears of mis-hitting the ball !

be relaxed and confident !

2010-08-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

Play “fearless mental golf” !!

The player who is relaxed and confident plays a better game than one whose knees are shaking at the thought of lurking sand traps or looming trees. You want to leave fear in the locker along with your granny panties.

Change the way you think and change your game. Focus on the shot at hand and even if you hit a bad shot, don't worry about where it flew. just think about the next shot.

new goal !

2010-07-28T00:04:00.000-07:00

stamy new goal is to play 75 by end august and to break 80 in a competition in august !

self discipline !

i would be unstoppable if i could just get started

i'm starting now

the next stage i walk alone

2010-07-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

i think there's something wrong with my sleeping habits. it could be the way my bedroom blocks out sunlight or i have some sleep disorder. just keep sleeping for long long hours. i need to follow a regular sleeping and waking up time from now on to try and see if my condition improves.

the next stage of improvement i need to figure out myself. i want to play in the 70s from now on. but it's hard when i feel no motivation to go and practice. it's a complicated situation that i don't really know how to explain yet. release my fear of making plans because i fear not following through with it.

at least one consoling point i got from bob rotella is about perfectionism. i want to be perfect so i get really upset when i don't play golf the way i know i can or don't hit as well as i want to. then the more i feel that i'm not perfect the more impatient i get and then there's this downward spiral that makes me less and less committed to the process of improvement.

i remember i had a panic attack before an exam because i was so scared i wouldn't do well and let everyone down. maybe i'm having recurring feelings. so many people believe in me to do well and think i can but i myself doubt the possibility of being the best and then the fear is worsened because i think i can't live up to their expectations.

so this next stage is something i have to figure out and figure out fast in order to get back on track. i can do it !
i don't give up !

the importance of my blog

2010-07-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

i now realise how important this blog is to me in terms of staying motivated and reaching my goals. i like to talk alot but often it isn't easy to tell someone all that i'm going through, my discoveries, my worries and concerns. then i think things have started to stay bottled inside. something happened on that melbourne trip that made me lose confidence and motivation. i don't really know why and how i got into this lazy slump for the past 2 months. i've been updating less and less.

then now i discover that this blog has unknowingly become my closest friend to share my golfing experiences with. someone that i can talk to through my keyboard non-stop and will never tire. although it doesn't really understand i feel as though it is the one thing that knows all about this journey and how tough it has been.

female golfer tips: trust

2010-07-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

i find myself often very impatient !
i look up very fast after i hit the ball to try and see if it is going in the right direction. but this bad habit is actually the cause for the inconsistency in the direction of my ball.

i'm starting to learn to trust that my swing will bring my ball to where i want it to go. then more often than not, it is actually travelling towards the pin rather than 10 meteres right of it.

so tip of the day is to trust in your swing. looking up too early in anticipation of the ball flying towards the target will only cause you to open (or maybe close) your clubface, causing the ball to be inaccurate.
also remember to do this will accelerating through impact to achieve the best outcome !

golf fashion fix: half lace golf shoes

2010-07-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

check out the pretty shoes ! would you believe that they are actually GOLF SHOES ! they look like flats that you could wear out shopping right !

the Callaway Women's Half Lace Golf Shoe (top) comes in black, fuschia and cyan blue. fancy names for these pretty pretty shoes

go to: endless.com to get your Callaway pair now

Combine stylish with high performance to get this distinctive pair of shoes. It's unique look features a supple but waterproof leather on the upper of the shoe, a cushioned footbed, and state of the art spikes in its flexible rubber sole.

the Sesto Meucci Women's Gabian Golf Shoe (bottom) comes in red and black

i don't know what Gabian means but i know beauty when i see it

go to: endless.com to get yours now !

The Nappa leather upper and slim laces make this pair of shoes charming and feminine. The cushioned insole and sturdy rubber cleat offers comfort with traction to tackle the golf course

BE SURE TO ATTRACT POSITIVE ATTENTION WHEN YOU WEAR THEM TO THE DRIVING RANGE OR YOUR NEXT GOLF GAME !

if you own either pair, please let me know if you are able to play golf as per normal in them :) if yes, i also want a pair !

golf fashion fix: stella mccartney golf performance skirt

2010-07-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

my first time seeing a high waisted golf skirt. stella mccartney's designs are definitely fashion forward. wonder if wearing it really enhances golf performance ...

even if not to play golf i think the skirt is beautiful. perfect to take you from brunch with the girls to a game on the golf course !

The adidas by Stella McCartney Golf Performance Skirt is a high-waist design with an adjustable button belt, styled in soft CLIMALITE® fabric to sweep sweat off the skin. With hidden side pockets, back zipper pockets and a convenient Stella logo golf ball marker on the right pocket.

go to : http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=4592175192 if you're interested in buying. sorry for those who can't read chinese because the skirt seems to be sold out on ebay and the likes

golf accessories : Sydney Love handbags in Golf theme

2010-07-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

i really learn about so many brands from polyvore.com where i create golf apparel collages and inspire female golfing fashion.

the brand i've discovered today is 'Sydney Love Handbags"

to quote from their website: "Sydney Love is a distinctly recognizable brand with whimsical print handbags and accessories at affordable prices."

i loveeee this golf design !! and because i'm a fan of big bags, i'm so into this getaway overnight bag. i can imagine myself packing my stuff into this bag when i travel overseas to play tournaments.

they come with polka dot linings too !! how awesome and totally cute is that !!

if you're a golfer and are looking for a golf- themed bag to carry on the golf course, at the club house after the game or to pack your clothes for shower. Sydney Love bags also come in other shapes and sizes. check out the

Shoulder strap bag Cross-Body Bag Tote Bag

SICC Ladies Open 2010

2010-07-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

The SICC Ladies Open 2010 was scheduled to play on Friday 16 July 2010 at the SICC Island Course but due to inclement weather, the game was washed out and will be played on Monday 19 July 2010 instead.

"so anti-climax to attend the dinner without playing golf" i heard a lady comment
"yah lo like jumping straight into it without foreplay" was the response

haha

when lady golfers party, they really let their hair down and have a good time !!

the theme for the dinner was "Pink Divas" and everything was really decorated in pink

the evening started off with cocktail drinks at the 19th hole where they served pink colored sparkling juice mixed with vodka. then we went to collect our Clarins goody bag and door gift. to my immense surprise !! everyone received a small Kate Spade clutch. 4 of us girls standing with our green boxes, eager to see what we had received. it was really cool because they had various designs.

compliments to the good selection of goody bags (pun intended)

Heading up to HongYuen for dinner, the place was well decorated really nicely. the ceiling was filled with balloons and the table was nicely done up with a black table cloth and a pretty centrepiece of zebra prints, candles, pink feathers and sparkly bits.

The night was interspersed with games, dancing and food. Our table won the table prize thanks to smart brains, fast writing, quick collection of items and sprinting up to the emcee !! each person got a tube of golf balls but at least we won something.

they served us delicious food. compliments to the kitchen for cooking everything to delectably and for serving each portion individually. it would have been great if we didn't have to wait so long in between courses but i understand all the various reasons for it. besides, the ladies enjoyed dancing in between the serving of food.

the much awaited segment of the night finally arrived after 3 hours: the LUCKY DRAW !!
there were only 7 prizes and i didn't get anything but it was still fun hoping they would call my name.

alot of people can't play on monday, so i think i'll have a better chance of winning a prize !! heehee
i'm excited to play a good score in the company of awesome golfing buddies !!

pleased that i've figured out pitching !

2010-07-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

played 18 holes with dad and mom today and i was pitching really really well. i've cut down my error of hitting the balls 10meteres right of the hole to between 2metres and 5metres. yayyy !!

i'm so happy that i've managed to combine everyone's pointers on pitching into a method that works and follows what everyone teaches. haha

so excited to work on my distance ranging now that i have a technique that i can use to work on improving distance accuracy

just one more week of having to head back and forth from Woodlands for driving lessons then i'll be more free to practice since i'll only go there once or twice a week !!

golf tips: how to hit a clean shot out of the bunker

2010-07-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

in a fairway bunker ? think the bunker isn't too high and a clean iron shot will clear the top ?

then you are planning to hit a clean iron shot at the ball out of the bunker. now you need these amazing tips to ensure you execute it perfectly EVERYTIME.

1. choke down 1 to 2 inches on your iron/wood, taking an extra club to compensate for the distance lost

2. fix your eyes at where you want your club to impact (in this case, it would be directly at the ball instead of 1 or 2 inches behind the ball)

3. accelerate on your downswing so you able to get the distance you desire. slowing down because of a lack of confidence will likely cause you to impact the sand instead of the ball like a normal bunker shot and it will only fly as far as it

bunker shot tips: when you don't have a good lie

2010-07-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

i learnt this lesson the hard way. that when you don't have a good lie in the bunker such as
a. your ball lands straight in the bunker and your ball is lying in its own hole caused by impact
b. your ball is inside someone's feet mark because the bunker was not raked

try to play it safe because it is better to waste 1 stroke to get onto the fairway and then approach the green rather than keep attempting to hit a clean shot straight onto the green.

Oakley Day Singapore 2010

2010-07-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

played the Oakley Day tournament held at Laguna National Golf and Country Club on Wednesday the 14th of July 2010.
the high entry fee was made worth it with a free pair of Oakley Radar sunglasses and an Oakley golf shirt. could see that it was a mainly male dominated day because the men's shirts were displayed on a nice rack while the ladies shirts only fit onto a small chair behind the table.
I was really excited to look at the sunglasses because i couldn't decide which color combination to get and needed to see it up close in order to make a more informed decision. We were allowed to customise a pair of Radar sunglasses but essentially we only had to choose 3 or 4 components.
1. frame color
-they looked really plastic-ey all lined up in a row without the lenses in them yet
-i chose a bright pink color (which i'd been eyeing on the website since the beginning of the year)

2. ear socks color
-you had more choices if you chose the white colored frame but since my frame was so bright i matched it with white ear socks, only to realise the possibility of them getting dirty, or even turning yellow in the future.. (eee i hope the ear socks are made of materials as good as their lenses so they will be resistant to color change and grime)

3. Oakley logo color
-almost took the last gold color O but i decided they'd look nicer on mom's red pair so i chose white instead
(now i've got a really BARBIE looking pair of Oakley sunglasses which people say suit me because i like the color pink)

4. type of lens
-they have cool names that i clearly do not remember, i classify them according to whether people are able to see your eyes through them or not
-i chose a brown shade that is not reflective on the outside. (i don't like the idea that people can look at my sunglasses to check out their reflection)
-i find the brown tint tones down the bright sunlight instead of keeping things the same color but dimming it slightly because the bright white light from the sun is still equally painful to my eyes)

i played quite a good round, only struggling with my putting on the greens.
they had a very fun way of playing novelty games on almost every other hole. we started on the 4th hole where we teed off from a waste bunker only 100m from the green although still playing the hole as a par 4. i was the first to tee off and put it nicely on the green. confidence boost !

because it was an event held jointly with Golf Punk Magazine, they had these interesting Golf Punk Dollars that you could earn along the game to be used at the end of the night to bid for Oakley products.

my worst hole was on the 18th with water all along the right side of the fairway and a waste bunker between the fairway and the water. silly me teed off with a high cut (wasn't planning on it) and landed straight in the water. had to take a drop in the waste bunker which had fluffy sand so my ball landed straight in its own drop mark. thinking i could hit it out and near the green, i dufted it in the bunker 20m in front of me only to land in someone's foot mark. (i found out you don't need to rake waste bunkers)
eventually took 5 shots to get out the bunker. mucked around the green and went away with an embarrassing 12 on a par 4. yuck a triple par :(

lesson learnt: if you don't have a good lie in a bunker, always play it safe !!!!!! especially if you do not feel confident of hitting a good shot.

feel like i really haven't updated in ages

2010-07-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

i think it's about time i wrote a new post !
i'm getting lazy with updating because i haven't been feeling psyched about my golf improvement .
but.... i'm pleased to announce that i am making progress on figuring out how to have a better short game that is more accurate and goes the distance that i want it to.

at this point of my golf improvement cycle, i think it has to do with figuring out what works best for me while incorporating good technique in order to be consistent.

building upon my previous notion of 'acceleration' through impact, i have now figured out better how to keep a square clubface through impact so that the ball goes to where i want it to (in the right direction). i've been having problems with my pitches flying about 5-10m to the right.

this is what i discovered and thus need to be more aware of in order to reach a higher level

1.club face must be square to target during setup
-it is challenging for me because the open stance makes me tend to open my clubface. *make sure club is alligned towards point chosen in front of ball to aim towards

2. correct wrist angle at top of backswing
-feel like the face is getting shut

3. accelerate on the downswing in a smooth action along the right plane
-don't drop the club under the plane (having to flip wrists over at impact)
-don't rotate shoulders too far around on follow through or the ball will cut to the right (finish with arms in front of body)

female golfer tips: ACCELERATE !

2010-07-08T06:08:00.000-07:00

if you are a female golfer and you are like me then you are probably guilty of decelerating as you hit the ball. this means you take a really long backswing and then slow down as you are about to contact the ball.

i especially do this when i'm pitching. i'm afraid that i'll hit the ball too far and fly it past the green so i tend to slow down before impact. this creates the opposite effect of leaving the ball too short and sometimes i even land short of the green. albeit safer because i won't get into trouble at the back of the green, especially when you cannot see the danger behind such as going out of bounds.

i tried concentrating on each shot to accelerate through the swing as i impact the ball so wait till my club shaft is about parallel with the ground, then really increase/ maintain speed during and after hitting the ball.

it is effective !

i had good pitch shots and didn't leave as many of them short of the hole. if i went too far it would only be by about 5metres which is a better outcome than having to chip again from off the green.

now, i have to find a way to make sure i keep the clubface square on impact. will update again with more female golf tips !

be strong !

someone told me to be more aggressive

2010-07-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

i'm too calm and cool on the golf course. it seems like there is a small minority of amateurs that are able to keep their cool after hitting a bad shot. i would like to believe i am in that minority group of golfers that are able to let go of the bad shot and move forward. yes i analyse what went wrong, then i try to commit to memory not to commit the same error in a similiar situation should it arise in the future.

but maybe i'm too calm these days. there isn't a raging competitive fire when i play with other golfers because i know that the real competition i have is with myself. i am competing against the golf course and not my flight mates so although it is good to use good golfers as a benchmark for myself i can't just compare my score and theirs.

i got annoyed on one hole where i kept duft-ing my pitch shots. from 30m: i went into a bunker from the rough., then barely got out of the bunker (still not on the green), then as i was about to scold myself for being such an idiot, i hit an amazing 15 punch that bounced right into the hole. save for bogey !

i'm considering turning up the heat a teensy weensy bit when i'm playing so that i'm playing at the optimum amount of 'arousal' (which means level of intensity) to play well.

funny story in the bunker

2010-07-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

played 9 holes today. wasted alot of strokes because i didn't recover well from danger such as getting stuck right at the base of the tree and i had to stand in this huge fern.

anyway the funny part of the round is that i got stuck in a high fairway bunker and tried to do something smart. i took 3 shots to come out of the bunker because i didn't open the club face of my 9iron enough.

aargh i'm being distracted. so back to the funny part.

my second shot hit the lip of the bunker and bounced back towards me, hitting my in my left ribs. ouch. i never knew how painful it was to get hit by a golf ball. imagine how much more painful it would be to get hit by a golf ball flying at full speed. eeek

anyway that is my amusing story of the day. if it made you laugh, check out my facebook page and 'like' it :)

tough tough

2010-07-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

i think the weakest part of my golf game now is my short game. i'm unconfident when i have to pitch or chip. it's very confusing when you have so many different ways to go about it. sighs i've been confused and frustrated with this short game problem for some time now. its the main thing that reduces my motivation. i believe that my short is awesome !!

HUGS !

2010-07-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

It has been proved that showing affection strengthens growth and positive development in people. We all need physical contact to feel good, and one of the most important ways of physical contact between two people is hugging.Who does not need cuddles in this society that is becoming ever colder, more competitive, that compels us to be more individualistic, more personal-goal oriented...?When we hug, we receive an energy feedback. We bring life to our senses and reaffirm the trust in our senses. Sometimes we CANNOT find the right words to express how we feel, and then hugs are the best way to say it.We need four hugs a day to survive, eight to preserve ourselves, and twelve to grow. A hug makes you feel good. The skin is the biggest organ we have and it needs a lot of love. A hug can cover an extensive part of the skin and provides the massage you need. It is also a way to communicate. It can convey messages for which you have no words. We can always resort to the universal language of hugs.The Power of Hugs
Hugging achieves many things that you might never have imagined. For example:

It feels good
It dissolves solitude
It defeats fear
It opens the door to sensations
It improves self-esteem (wow, he or she wants to hug me!)
It encourages altruism (I can't believe it, but I want to hug that person)
It delays aging (those who hug age more slowly)
It helps reduce appetite (we eat less when we are nourished with hugs and when our arms are wrapped around others)

More benefits from hugs:

It is environmentally friendly (it does not damage the environment)
It preserves energy
It is portable and requires no additional machinery
It does not require a special place to do it (an adequate place to hug)
In any place such as a conference room, a church or a football field
It makes happy days even happier
It gives us a sense of belonging
It fills the void in our lives
It is still effective even after the hugging has finished
It strengthens and increases our ability to share
It harmonizes the hearts of friends

Hugging creates some form of addiction to tenderness, to altruism, to happiness...

Just as laughter, it is highly contagious! Whatever your hug may be, let it always come from the heart, not from the mind.
Come up with new ways of hugging.
Give your hugs interesting or funny names.
Become a full-time "hug therapist."
Be always ready to offer a hug to someone.
Observe the other person and always be careful of his or her personal space.
Do not try to impose your vision or philosophy on others.
A hug does and says very much.
Hug your friend, your loved one, your kids, your parents, your pet...

hugs are awesome ! go on a hugging spree ! go hug all your golfing buddies :) it will make their day so they play better or you will throw them off guard so they don't play well heh heh either

the only time is NOW

2010-06-23T09:20:00.003-07:00

no more waiting for a magic sign that will spur you to action. No more waiting to feel more motivated. you can change how you feel in a split second. Everything is a choice. 'today no good doesn't mean everyday no good' someone told me that.
Do I sound like I have split personalities because I'm optimistic one post and downcast another? If I do. You're wrong. Everyone goes through ups and downs. You can't expect someone to be smiling constantly. They'd be faking.

In golf, you cannot avoid making mistakes so you try to minimise how bad the mistakes are. It's the same in life.

I don't expect people to empathize with what I go through because it would be expecting too much. Maybe that's my problem. I'm working on that.

So tomorrow is a new beginning for golf morale. I hope I'm not too excited that I can't fall asleep. Sweet dreams wherever you are in the world.

demoralization and reorganization

2010-06-23T04:46:00.001-07:00

it seems like I haven't smiled voluntarily for awhile. That I've been walking with my head down and eyes glued to the floor. Suddenly i feel like people want me to be what I'm not. At least not yet. Want me to be just a regular person and not just playing golf everyday. Want me to be a beer golfer. Its just so confusing hearing so many voices. So many differing opinions. Like going to 5 different coaches and reading books too. I've been feeling so lousy and lost. It's no one's fault but my own. I'm unhappy and I don't know how to make myself feel better but at least I'm trying. The answer will come soon.then it'll be a eureka moment.

what is my purpose in life

2010-06-19T23:00:00.001-07:00

it sounds so cliche. what is this? A mid-teen crisis? Yes everyone probably goes through it but i thought i was already over that phase. Why am i back to living meaningless days that i can't even get my ass out of bed. feel like i don't have control over my life. Feel so lost. stupid dreams that don't even seem reachable anymore. at least some light is appearing this 'morning'

Melbourne Day 5 thoughts

2010-06-19T01:03:00.000-07:00

The best advice my dad gave me before the trip is that no one is going to encourage you so you have to encourage yourself. when i feel sad and inferior to others, i'll remind myself of this and then work on telling myself i am the best !

Melbourne Day 4 thoughts

2010-06-19T00:49:00.000-07:00

the cold can do funny things to you. especially when it's rainig and windy at the same time. It's day 3 and i just played 80 yesterday and was super pumped to play a good round today. but the weather made me go crazy. no, not in the psycho way. but in the way you start thinking up nonsense stuff and can't really feel your body. i can't believe i actually started crying somewhere on the 13th hole. not even sure why i was making myself feel miserable. i knew i was playing quite well but the wind was taking my putts to insanity land.

the wind blew so strong that the flag pole was bending over. putting against the wind means you have to smash it or it'll go nowhere and if you are putting with tail wind, just a little tap will make the ball fly wayyyy past.

thats the thing about playing golf with really strong wind. it not only affects cflub selection, but even affects your putt. it even makes your putting stroke feel different. when there is immense tailwind, it takes alot of effort to bring your putter back and then when you stroke through the putt, the wind doubles the strength you intended.

i hit so many good shots, but missed so many little putts. aiish
The good part about the cold is that i couldn't really feel my body moving and i just let it go. there was this smoot rhythm that just came naturally without any effort. i want to hit shots like that when i go back to singapore.

furthermore, it was awesome because i transcended the whiny-ness and just had this very zen-like calmness about the situation. i was so in the moment that i was enjoying the frozen-fingers-cold because i was playing well.

star moment was on the 2nd tee when it started hailing as i was about to tee off. ice hit my face like shards of glass and i still hit a smokin- tee shot. whoo ! take that weather !! you will not bring me down !

i started on a really good roll. but halfway through i began thinking mean thoughts to myself. things that were very un-loving towards me and i didn't need them. but thats just a process i face. my mind went off on a roller-coaster ride and eventually i managed to get my head back on top of my neck.

at the end of the day, i'm only going to remember the awesome shots i hit and the good putts i saved for bogey. and especially how i played from that wonderful place inside. no worries, no fear, no cold, no warmth, just smooth rhythm and a calm peaceful mind to play my best. tomorrow is another day. i will play my best score tomorrow in bad conditions because i am awesome !

Melbourne Day 1 first thoughts

2010-06-19T00:36:00.000-07:00

We've just arrived in Melbourne. came out of the airport. it's 8 degrees. mist forms when you breathe out. i almost forgot how nice the cold weather is. I have so many mixed feelings about this city. So many things happened here in Melbourne. I've spent 20% of my life so far in this place. So many stories to tell from my 4 years and this trip is going to create more stories and more exciting things to share about the beautiful place called Melbourne.

Now we're driving past college square, it's raining and i'm thinking of the few times it's rained when i was living there. on familiar streets, everything that has happened seems so near yet so far.

no matter what, i resolve to do my best and work hard on this trip. play my best scores and do what i'm capable of. awesome-ness is out ! you can do it shuyan !!

lowest score of 78 !!

2010-06-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

so many reasons for playing my best score ever today. its 4 strokes lower than my previous best score of 82 and on the same course. so many things were just right and i really believed in every shot and stayed committed to the entire round, bringing my thoughts back to the present instead of wondering about my possible final score.

it's my first time breaking 80 and i look forward to more more amazing scores to come !
i'm sooo excited to hit my next lowest score :)

neglect and wise words

2010-06-19T00:19:00.000-07:00

i feel like i've neglected this blog. since i've came back from melbourne, the days have been such a blur and i find myself tired all the time. the inability to upload my posts that i stored in my handphone during the trip has made me very frustrated.

i'm older and wiser and should know better that the first sign of lethargy and annoyance means that i need to clear up my room and mop the floor. it's a hazard of moving from a brand new apartment back to a house that is more than 10 years old.

i realise that i've not been as happy as i usually am. what happened to the drive and motivation? i admire the people who wake up early every morning. not the people like me who say they want to wake up at 7am but snooze till noon. no admiration for myself, but i also shouldn't be so harsh. i wish i were a robot that can be programmed to go to bed at a certain time and wake up when the alarm rings.

maybe the past week just has not been very good for me. i feel lazy, feel fat, feel unloved, feel pimply, feel alot of not so good things.

the focus is on how to create a new improved system that can make my life better, more goal-driven, more fulfilling and not wallowing in how lousy i feel.

i think i'll just have to retype out my posts which i am not excited about doing at all. but at least i'll probably feel accomplished after doing so.

staying in the present during the golf game part 1

2010-06-19T00:09:00.000-07:00

how to stay in the present during your golf game when you have a song stuck in your head
have you ever had a song stay in your head all throughout your golf game. even if it's just the chorus or 2 lines, it won't get out of your mind. and even when you try to block it out before taking your shot, it almost immediately starts playing in your head right after the golf ball leaves your club face.

when i hear a nice song and listen to it so much that i know the tune and can recite the lyrics, i didn't expect that it would lead to consequences on the golf course.

During the SLGA amateur open, i had to come up with a way to successfully block the songs blasting in my head while keeping its usefulness in keeping my mind free in between shots.

1. observe the things around you - keep it specific
eg: I see a tree with red leaves, I see a bird cleaning itself

2. note the sounds you can hear
eg: i hear heavy traffic, i hear a woodpecker

it's a great way to stay in the present because you bring your attention back to the shot at hand.

staying in the present during the golf game

2010-06-04T06:05:00.000-07:00

staying in the present is a big part of the golf game. you read in alot of books teaching about the mental aspect of golf. its sounds so straightforward because we can only live in the present moment so why is it often so hard to keep your mind in the present during your golf game?

because our mind is always moving. we are always processing information. we are continuously taking in our surroundings and analysing our situation. it allows us to assess our ball position, whether there is wind, whether we are standing on a slope etc. however, it also leads us to analyse our standing in the golf game, so we count how many over par we are, how many pars we want to hit etc.

however, the awesome thing about our mind is that we can control our thoughts. we can decide which thoughts we want to place our focus on and which types of things to analyse.

in this upcoming series, i will describe 3 common ways our mind wanders from the present moment and how to bring it back.

do you read about staying in the present and then feel motivated to start doing it on the golf course ??
do you then start to let your mind wander after hitting a few bad shots?

if you do, then it is because you have not mastered HOW TO STAY IN THE PRESENT

female golfer tips: get over comparisons

2010-05-31T23:53:00.001-07:00

how to stop comparing yourself to other golfers

golf really is quite a tough game. Pit your skills, stamina and mental strength against nature with a ball and golf club. Then throw in the inevitable comparing of yourself against better players.

Each hole you try to get the ball as close as possible, or closer than your opponents. Its hard enough matching yourself against good players in your mind, but often it is even harder when other people compare you. It could be your playing partner blaming you for the loss, or a coach comparing you to his star student. these negative comments are never pleasant to the ears.

So how do you stop comparing, or stop being bothered when others compare you??

1. Always remember that everyone's path in life is different. it is the same for your golf improvement.

2. Keep encouraging and believing in yourself. Other people can have their opinions but you have the choice not to listen to them.

3. Stay away from people who give you negative comments. it is your natural right to be in a loving nurturing environment.

I once had a coach who kept comparing me with another student. It was quite subtle thing but not something 14 year old me could not pick out. That and numerous other reasons led me to stop golf for awhile. if i had known then what i know now, i would better handle my emotions and encourage myself a lot more.

comparisons can be to various degrees. No matter if its just a small bit of comparing of scores in the middle of the round, don't do it. You are better off focusing on your own game.

Success is individual achievement. Not whether you did better than someone else.

eep i forgot all about my putting challenge

2010-05-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

nautical golfer

2010-05-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

i saw nautical inspired golfing polo shirts and shorts by Callaway at Takashimaya but because they aren't considered basic pieces, i can't afford the hefty price tag that comes with its cute-ness. if i were sponsored by callaway, i'd so rock the nautical look

disclaimer: the products featured are not from Callaway except the shoes

first day after the SLGA Amatuer Open 2010

2010-05-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

wow it's my first break from golf (as in first day not touching golf at all) in a month.
slept from 8pm to 9am yesterday and even took a nap again this afternoon. i'm amazed at how much i can sleep.

i think i would have played a better score if i had slept earlier after each round of golf. then i would have a bit better concentration on the greens and wouldn't have felt to giddy under the hot sun. i was keeping myself well hydrated and relatively shaded.

i feel pleased with myself for hitting consistent scores :) i think it is important to be consistent. although i did not play as well as i had hoped, there will be other chances for me to wow people away with my low scores ! i believe i can do it.

just remember to stay committed and confident on each shot and not slow down or second guess as i'm about to hit the ball

after a good good rest, i am all fired up and ready to work on the areas of my game that need more attention :) it is only through playing in competitions that you are exposed to those pressurizing moments like being rushed for slow play. and only through experiences can you learn how to deal with the situations better the next time round

SLGA Amateur Open 2010

2010-05-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

hi all ! haven't updated for quite a few days because i was taking part in the SLGA Amateur Open 2010 played at my home course. the old course of Singapore Island Country Club. it was a tough 3 days of play where half of the holes were played off the white tees and we were under the torment of the hot sun.

it's my first 3 day tournament since i started on this journey towards improving my golf and i played a fantastic golf score of 87, 87 and 88 to come in 6th place in the A division and won a small trophy :)

learnt alot from the experience and now it is clearer which areas i need to work on in order to bring my scores to the next level. i know that each day i could have saved at least 5 shots if i had putted better, aimed correctly at the target and pitched or chipped a bit better. so these are the areas i will need to work on :)

i find that playing on the course more in the past 2 weeks has helped me to be better at managing my game on the golf course so that is what i will continue to do in order to build up confidence in my short game to score better

World trick shot championships

2010-05-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

precise timing speaks for itself

golfing gods send phil mickelson a sign in 2010

2010-05-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

they say its a piece of tree that fell out of the sky. but it almost looks like a worm jumped out from underground to watch the amazing phil mickelson !

the real massage ball

2010-05-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

ahhhhh i finally managed to get one !
there is this shop near my house that sells all those therapy stuff including wheelchairs and crutches etc
never noticed it before but things i need and want always find a way to appear in front of me

yayy its much firmer than the fakes i bought and looks unlikely to leak air out

i also bought this electrical heat pad that will help to relieve sore-ness and aches. so excited to try it out ! wheee
dad and mom will also be able to use it for their pains too

the shop is called "Mobility Plus" and the lady offers really good prices and heh discounts too so go to

Mobility Plus
7 Thomson Ridge
tel: 64556018
hp: 91371799

for all your therapy needs
they have wheelchairs, motorised power chairs, hospital/ home furniture, walking aids, nutrition/ oral feeding, bathroom/ toilet aids, adult diapers, respiratory and suction therapy, pressure relief cushions and mattresses and various other aids to daily living. they also do rental of equipment.

i'm just really glad i found the massage balls there so do go give the lady business ok

more refreshing sleep

2010-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

i used to have trouble falling asleep, sometimes even when i'm tired. and then morning time comes around and i can't drag myself out of bed. even with 12 hours of sleep, i can still feel lethargic and unable to open my eyes.
i suspected it was because my room is partitioned by built-in wardrobes that block my bed from the windows so it's really dark at night. but the downside is that i often can't really tell if the sky is still dark or if the sun is shining brightly outside.

but ever since i started using mental imagery before sleep. i find myself sleeping soundly with ease (i think i might even sleep with a smile on my face). and i also feel more energetic when it's time to wake up :) i spring out of bed (comparative to dragging myself out)

before i go to sleep, i lie on my bed, relaxed and imagine myself on the golf course. sometimes i just picture myself hitting great shots and sometimes i see myself playing the course. i watch myself hit fantastic shots with a smooth and complete swing, then feel the emotions and satisfaction of seeing the ball fly toward my target. i always have a big smile after hitting an awesome shot

i used to find it a chore to see things in my mind. but with practice and determination, it is becoming easier to feed my subconscious mind with wonderful images.

then when i'm on the golf course, i feel more confident when i'm about to hit the ball, which results in a good shot more often

yayyy

putting challenge day 2

2010-05-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

didn't manage to complete the 9 in a row putt challenge. managed to reach 8 again after half an hour. so i decided to try a variation instead

choose a hole that has a relatively straight line then poke 3 tees each at 3feet, 4 feet and 5 feet.
i was guessing but 3 feet is roughly 1meter which is one big step for me.
putt in the cycle of 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet then back to 3 feet again.
see how many you can sink in a row.

i managed to do 20 !! heehee so proud of myself

went to play a few holes on the course after that and i can already feel a dramatic increase in my confidence when putting, which meant i sank more short putts from 3 feet.
wheeeee happiness is sweet

100th post celebration !!

2010-05-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

whoop whoop !
i'm so happy that i've reached my goal of 100 posts by may 2010

to celebrate this joyous occasion, i've prepared a special treat for everyone. i'm gonna reveal ...

20 things you didn't know about Lim Shuyan

1. i don't think practicing golf requires sacrificing other things
2. my family supports me 100% in pursuing my golfing dream
3. i picked up golf when i was 12 as my form of exercise
4. i stopped golf at 15 due to diminishing interest and change in priorities
5. i studied in Melbourne from 2005 to 2009
6. i have built in wardrobes in my room
7. my biggest challenge is keeping stuff off my room floor
8. i believe that i can learn from every experience in my life
9. i am grateful to all the wonderful people who touched my life in big and small ways
10. i think i am a very lucky girl
11. my favourite colors are pink, yellow, orange, green,
12. my dog picks are pekingese, toy poodle and corgi
13. my 3 most valuable possessions: Bushnell lazer, Oakley sunglasses and golf bag (with clubs)
14. my favourite cartoon is spongebob squarepants
15. i have 2 favourite soft toys (lion and bunny)
16. in my free time, i read, update my blog and fiddle around on polyvore
17. i love to finish a salty meal with ice cream
18. i get frightened when people start raising their voices
19. my favourite drinks are coke, kickapoo and fruitade
20. i most enjoy the company of people who believe in me

putting challenge

2010-05-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

you spend a big portion of your golf game on the putting green, and that should convince you that putts are ever so important. but because you only need negligible talent in order to putt, most people neglect this important aspect of the game. often concentrating on improving we long game, we forget that it is usually our putting that can determine whether we play in the 80s or the 90s.

in trying to bring down my scores to play in the low 80s and even break 80, i've discovered how important each putt is. a missed putt as a 1 stroke addition to your overall score.

i'm not very good with judging putts in feet so i'll just refer to them in metres for my own simplicity.

when i'm left with a 2 metre putt for par, i often don't sink it and then turn my good chip shot into a bogey instead. but i realised that it's usually because i've convinced myself i'll probably miss it, therefore i do. so i devised a putting challenge to increase my confidence and also create some pressure in my putting practice to simulate the atmosphere in competitions where you want to sink putts that matter. note that this is a variation from something i read in a book.

choose a hole with a simple break or preferably a straight putt.
take out the pin and using tees, mark out 1m, 2m and 3m away

the goal is to sink 9 putts in a row. (3 from 1metre, 3 from 2metres and then 3 from 3metres)
if you miss one restart from 1metre again.

it was my first time doing this and i learnt that this simple exercise can bring out so many aspects in your golf mental game

15 minutes
i'm starting to get frustrated and don't follow my pre-shot routine
think: just stick with it. even if it takes 1 hour, stick with it !

25 minutes
i manage to sink 8 putts in a row, and almost cry out when i missed the 9th

30minutes
i have to leave to go home but i feel my confidence in those short putts improved !

do sports people hold their liquor better ?

2010-05-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

met a new friend yesterday that mentioned that sports people are able to drink more alcohol because they exercise more often which increases their metabolic rate and thus their bodies will be better at breaking down the alcohol.

isn't alcohol broken down by the liver? so what does exercising got to do with my liver?

i've sworn off alcohol for 2 months already and after last night's experience, i think i will be off alcohol for another 2 months. so the evidence (me) states that the hypothesis of "sports people hold their liquor better " is INCORRECT !

what do you think ??

massage ball fail

2010-05-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

i was looking online for those massage balls to massage aching muscles but couldn't find any shop websites that say they sell it. the closest i got to finding where to buy one in singapore was this website that will ORDER for me from taiwan or something. very lame.

well i managed to find one at novena square. i was so excited because they came in an assortment of bright colors. i chose a pink one of course. i tried using it and to my amusement, it actually lights up and blinks in blue, red, purple colors when used haha.

after about 15 minutes of use, it wasn't so fun anymore when i started to hear a hissing sound. when i took it from behind my back where i was using it against the wall, i found it half deflated. gahhh

massage ball fail man

anyway, i found another website that sells cool massage supplies. go to this website to check it out. yayy at least its in singapore. and i do know where the warehouse is ! so la la la i can get my massage balls soon haha

if you don't know what a massage ball is go here to check it out. basically they are used for self massage and therapists use them too. they help to ease sore muscles and enhance sport performance !

why are they distractions

2010-05-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

some voices and faces are just so distracting (not in a good way). now i not only have to work at staying focused on playing my game and working on my golf swing i must learn how to block out those distractions. aiish even when i plugged in my (revived) ipod, it only marginally improved the situation.

but i believe that i have strong focus-power. in mr khor's A. math tuition class, i could always block out the noisy VS boys sitting behind me and just concentrate on finishing the work. i pride myself in that ability to block out sounds. so i'm sure i'll be able to do it now.

i'm gonna be uber-focused golfer gal !

wow I'm amazed at my new found fire

2010-05-19T01:57:00.001-07:00

I just finished 9 holes. Nothing special? It was drizzling. I'd usually be the first to run indoors when the sky turns dark but I resolved to finish the round. Although I finished with a 43. I did it with one birdie and a very naughty triple bogey. Haha and then I went on to practice my putting till the rain got too heavy.

I'm gonna hit the shower first to prevent catching a cold or worse, a fever. Hopefully I can practice a bit more before I go home later

feeding your mind with good scenes

2010-05-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

this exercise works best before you go to sleep. although i accidentally fell asleep with the lights on halfway through the first time i did it. so you can choose whether to switch off the lights or keep them on. either way is fine but no matter whether you want to do it on the bed, or in a chair, make sure you are in a quiet place that you will not be disturbed. put on some soothing music if you wish.

do the 4-5-6 breathing technique i learnt which is to
breathe in for 4 counts
hold your breath for 5 counts
breathe out for 6 counts.

this 456 breathing exercise can help you to relax.

*use it while focusing on your muscles from your feet up to your head for a more thorough relaxation*

ok imagine yourself on the first tee box. try to be as detailed as possible with what it looks like (is the sun bright?), are there any smells? etc
then imagine yourself smashing an awesome tee shot straight and long down the fairway
feel your body making the beautiful swing to hit the shot and soak in the nice warm feeling after impact

do this every night. it will only take a minute but will slowly build into your subconscious mind that you will hit a great drive to start off a good golf game. we all know how good it feels to start the golf game well right. soon you will find it become a reality ! trust in it and just be patient !

you subconscious mind can work in wondrous ways so just let it do its job

concentrating on the golf course

2010-05-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

i used to feel pressured when my flight mates watch me hit. especially when they stand quite close-by. but i realised that it is impossible to stop people from watching me hit so i decided that i need to find a way to concentrate better when i'm about to hit the ball because i tend to rush when i'm ACTUALLY hitting the shot.

when concentration increases, score goes down.

now, i make an effort to really slow down and focus on hitting each shot without rushing at impact. even though i feel like i'm playing at a slower pace, i believe that it's just because i'm getting used to staying focused and once i get more used to it, i'll be able to zone in and totally concentrate on my shot on the golf course.

i also tell myself that if people are watching me, then it must be because they want to learn from me. so i can draw on that positive idea and channel it into my golf game to hit better shots !

whoo hoo ! stick to the plan and results will come !

mental images take practice

2010-05-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

i admit i am guilty of beating myself up on the golf course. giving up around hole 5 of the golf game is my forte and then i have to spend a good 3 holes trying to convince myself that i have the potential to play better as long as i find confidence.
i admit i am guilty of giving up on my routine when i play badly telling myself its no point and doing something different might actually be good for my game. and if i'm gonna play the same score anyway, whats the point in putting so much effort.

i resolve to play every golf game with conviction and commit to visualizing my shot and seeing it land at the spot i have chosen. i resolve to spend more walking time on the golf course feeling what its like to hit great shots. hearing the sound of the putt dropping into the cup.

it wasn't easy but i was able to channel my mind to do it about 85-90% of the game. i still finished the round with a score of 89 but i can really feel my game improving. when it all clicks together then i'll really be in business.

i think it takes time to train up seeing imagery in your head. maybe all the good players already know this. it all seems vaguely familiar but now i am certain that even though its not easy, i will be able to do it easily and effortlessly if i stick to the process and keep thinking that i am a great player.

when i feel like a great player, i can play like one.

think good swing thoughts: smooth and simple swing with good rhythm.
think "sa-wish swish"

my kiss

2010-05-16T21:54:00.001-07:00

keep it simple and smooth. You can call it kis-as if you want have a more high-class ring to it. Haha or if you just want to say it out loud quickly repeating it to make yourself laugh. It will do you good to have some laughter in your golf game.

Often I've hit too many double bogeys to get anywhere near my goal of breaking 80 on the day so I just try to look around and find things that make me smile. Such as the funny lizard that runs away when I go near. Haha animals always make me coo.

everyday is a new day and a new chance for a good game of golf. Even when your confidence is really low, spend time each day. Even 5 minutes would be good. Spend the time to imagine you are a great golfer. What it would feel like to return with a score in the 70s everytime. How proud of yourself you would feel.

Think big. See the big picture. Instill your mind with positive images because your mind doesn't tell the difference. Feel great in order to be great

Start

there's nothing wrong with me

2010-05-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

just because the extroverted, bubbly shuyan doesn't appear as often anymore doesn't mean i've changed right.
just because i find it more challenging to stay optimistic doesn't make me pessimistic.
just because i seldom meet friends doesn't mean i'm weird.
just because of what you think doesn't make me conform to your ideas

so stop it. stop thinking i'm weird. i'm not. weird is subjective. your idea of weird is the problem. not me.

smile shuyan ! you look prettier that way

don't think about the score

2010-05-16T03:35:00.000-07:00

i don't know whether to thank or scold the person who told me not to think about my golf score. on one hand it made me feel numb to whether i hit a par or a double bogey. it also made me have more time to think about how bad my putting is. on the other hand, it also took away the jitters when i hit the ball.

i suspect that in trying to not think about the score, i totally switched my mind off the game and lost all confidence in my golfing ability. aiish. maybe thats why i played so badly today. however, i can't really say its that bad because i didn't hit any horrible shots with my woods. you know the kind that you just pops up and runs 50metres along the ground?
maybe the problem is just that i forgot to have good foot work and returned to my bad habit of dropping my right hip.

why is the golf swing so challenging if it's meant to follow a natural swing plane. it should be something natural right. then why is my right hip still doing unnatural things ?

i can hardly recall my strokes. is it ok to just forget today's game happened and believe and remember only the good games i've played?

i've also tried a new way of keeping my stats on the golf course. a method of ticking and crossing that also helps to take your mind off the score and just trying to get ticks. yesterday's 'tick-sheet' had more crosses than ticks. but today's one is worse because there are so many many crosses. eek i think seeing the number of crosses further aggravated my lack of confidence

oh well, it is something to learn from.
if i only remember one phrase from my time at adam khoo's course, it's that "there is no such thing as failure, only learning experiences"

i was actually hitting the ball quite well. not hitting it thin but slightly fat instead today. my distance improved but direction was really horrible. maybe i was trying a different golf ball thats why the distance was longer. hmmm

jiayou lim shuyan ! you can do it !

but for now i feel like curling up and going to sleep. the rain outside goes pitter patter and seems to be hypnotising me not to think about my golf and just go sleep.

sweety skirts

2010-05-15T04:26:00.000-07:00

after playing a score of 88 in the ladies' club championship, i came home feeling quite sad that i didn't play as well as i did. but it's clearer now that my game is getting better and better and very soon i will be shooting awesome scores. but for the time being if i cannot shoot the lowest scores, i can take the most inspiring ladies' golfing fashion photos.

check out my newest photo shoot on how to wear skirts on the golf course :) and i've also featured my new golf bag by 'fourteen' that is black and PINK heehee

mummy helped me with the iron on 'S Y' and sunflower. yay thank goodness the heat from the iron didn't burn a hole in the bag phewwww and thanks to wongyuen for helping me choose such pretty designs and thanks sis for helping me arrange them prettily and lastly to daddy for helping me reserve the bag in case someone else wanted the pink one

so check out my photos on facebook for more sweet inspirations on wearing skirts to play golf

cheers to playing with a clear head

2010-05-15T04:18:00.000-07:00

play free of expectations. maybe i played with too little thought or emotion today that i didn't find the drive to will my ball to where i want it to go. maybe the pace was too slow. maybe i was too thirsty. it could be so many things. but i know for sure after playing with a level head and peace of mind to just play my best and not let nerves get in the way, i can see great potential for lower scores and that i will play better and better

keep it up shuyan ! don't give up ! you will break 80 !!

misunderstood

2010-05-15T04:16:00.000-07:00

maybe it's easy to misunderstand the things i say about my golf if a)you don't know about golf or b)you don't know me well enough

it was quite stressful having to think about my plans and try to explain it to someone. especially if the person doesn't know me very well. because its a complex situation to describe and how can i possibly repeat all the thoughts in my head.

maybe thats why i have pent up anger that i either a)snap at anything that crosses my path or b)retreat into solitude and try to forget i have any issues. i think the anger stems from disappointment so maybe i just need to have a more realistic time frame and level of expectation of my own golf performance

putting out of your mind

2010-05-10T18:12:00.003-07:00

I've been stuck on the first two chapters of my third bob rotella book. Something to do with feeling unable to apply to or relate to the first two chapters. Or perhaps I'm afraid of what I will see in the later chapters. I fear that everything I've known and done about putting will be challenged. It's not like I don't have enough to think about already. its not that easy to keep my thoughts simple.

Will really get to it today and improve my mental putting. See the hole in your mind. Keep relaxed.Yes yes yes

no one told me I'd ache so much

2010-05-10T18:08:00.001-07:00

gosh gosh gosh I didn't t realise that practicing and playing golf everyday would cause me to ache so much. previously I developed pains here and there but I just realised how much my WHOLE body aches in general. Maybe I haven't stretched enough each day. I guess I must incorporate more stretching and self massage into my daily routine and practice sessions.

blog review

2010-05-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

why would anyone be interested in what i write?
how does my content add value to their lives?
who would be able to relate to the things i say?

i sometimes think my blog is so small and insignificant. i'm just one person on this planet and maybe my golfing journey doesn't really impact anyone. why would any random person read this and think wow i wanna support this girl !

oh well sometimes things just happen and one day i'll get my big break to be someone worth being famous.

keep at it shuyan !

chocolate will be my salvation

2010-05-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

I sometimes have a chocolate addiction. but i haven't felt those cravings for some time. i suspect that is the reason why i allow myself to be so mean and unloving to myself. telling myself things like "i really see no hope in trying anymore" and "this is useless" and well lots lots of other worse things

The reason why women are more addicted to chocolate is because of the hormone progesterone which is important in ovulation and the menstrual cycle. i didn't do well in biology so i did some research and they say that progesterone induces fat storage and the level of fat in the blood drops, thus prompting a craving for fat.

the other female hormone in the menstrual cycle is estrogen and a drop in its level(during PMS) causes a drop in the brain chemical serotonin (the chemical that keeps us calm). thats why we get crabby, moody and just behave illogically.

Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a chemical that some people describe as giving them the feeling of being in love. it is often referred to as "optimal brain happiness". chocolate also contains theobromine which provides a caffeine like effect.

so i'm gonna start on a new experiment, to eat a piece of chocolate everyday and see whether there is improvement in my level of optimism and positivity. besides, chocolate is yummay... so no harm in giving myself a good treat everyday. heehee

not me, my body is giving up on me

2010-05-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

everywhere is aching. at the same time now.
on days where nothing seems to go right, you can really be very hard on yourself. when you try but that nasty part of the brain just overrides all your senses and you can't help but think that you're hopeless and should just give up. it's weird because thoughts of giving up occur so often these days but i just refuse to give up yet. the time period isn't up yet. i just refuse to give up despite all the signs that make me think maybe i'm not cut out for this. it is almost too tough for me but NO. i will keep trying. ~~although trying doesn't seem good enough~~

it's on those yucky-poo days that i think up the most preposterous propositions and somehow manage to talk myself into the idea that they are true.

mental strength test

2010-05-10T06:37:00.001-07:00

I feel my mental strength tested on a daily basis. From the time my alarm rings till I go to bed, my mind is constantly challenged to be optimistic about the day ahead and how much my golf performance can improve.

Golf is just a game where you are never immediately rewarded for practice although it is certain that constant practice has a better payoff than spurts of enthusiasm.

If my daily attitude towards golf practice and game performance were measured like in an exam, I wonder how I would fare out of 100 ?

I think I currently just pass. I would score myself 50. It would be good to think of improving my mental strength like it were an exam I sit everyday. I aim to score 100 marks soon. That means to be able to stay optimistic about my game and practice and be able to identify unhelpful thoughts and weed them out by replacing them with hopeful positive thoughts

So there. Female Golfer Tip of the day: score your mental strength after each round of golf or after each practice session. on a scale of 1-100 how optimistic were you and how positively did you hit all your shots.

Thoughts like 'my golf really sucks and will never get better' or 'i don't see any point in practice because there's never any improvement' and 'nothing I do seems right, I really wanna give up' are no-nos and should severely lower your mental strength grade for the day.

Don't worry, you get a new mental strength grade each time you play golf or practice so there's always room for improvement and each golf practice session is a new one.

Its a simple way to measure your mental strength and track your improvement

neck inflammation

2010-05-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

in addition to the rest of the aches in my body ie: my feet, my wrist, my arms and my legs. now i also have an inflammation at my neck. i really have no idea if its from practicing golf or from going shopping for golfing clothes the other day, either way its related to golfing.

been feeling really sore in my neck since last week and i just thought it would go away after awhile. i don't know why i just don't learn that these aches and sore-ness doesn't just go away after awhile. grrr

well today it got really bad where my neck REALLY really hurt. and i have a high threshold for pain. i think.

so went and got it massaged by dr teo and he pasted those medicated plasters on my neck and they're stuck tightly so i had trouble turning my neck haha everytime i tried to look around, i have to turn my whole body. it really is quite comical.

oh well, yet another learning experience from another minor injury. hmmm is inflammation considered an injury?

if any medical specialists are reading this, please advise ...

send love to my neck and wish me all the best in tomorrow's medal !!

titleist pink ribbon caps

2010-05-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

ahhh ha ! i finally managed to find those titleist caps i was looking for. sometimes things just appear so unexpectedly !

yup yup i'm so pleased that now i have both the white and black caps with pink lining and titleist logo
although yes i know they're kind of the same cap. but i have the same adidas caps in pink and white too. it's my bad habit: when i can't choose between 2 colors, i just buy both. besides, it's not everyday i see nice golf caps that i want to buy and are willing to buy.

i'm not a spendthrift so it's ok right

come back 56degree baby

2010-05-06T05:32:00.001-07:00

I know you just want to go on adventure, hurry return home I miss you a lot !!

Think of the fun fun times we had tgt in bintan and all. You're always my number 1

vanilla twilight owl city

2010-05-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

thanks yuwei for introducing me this song ! its nice :)
and i found this cute video which is so simple but yet so sweet
it really reminds me that its often the simple things in life that make it so great to be alive and just that fact that i have the opportunity to pursue my professional golfer dreams make me so happy and lucky

check out the http://www.metrolyrics.com/vanilla-twilight-lyrics-owl-city.html">lyrics here

female golfer tips: positive thinking

2010-05-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

positive thinking in golf just means giving yourself positive instructions !

i am also sometimes guilty of having the kind of thoughts like "oh gosh, don't enter the bunker", "please don't let me shank the shot out of bounds" or "get across the pond, just - get - across - the - pond and i'll be happy"

some call it self fulfilling prophecy but scientifically it is just that the brain responds to whatever message you give it and it sees whatever you are thinking. it is unable to decipher what you don't want because it can only picture the current thought. so instead of thinking "don't enter the bunker", positively rephrase the thought by saying to yourself "land on that strip of fairway" and repeat the positive thought till you are comfortable, then make that swing and watch it land where you want it to.

tadah ! like magic !

a good mental attitude for playing golf is about banishing negative thoughts and bad pictures from the mind. only imagine all the good shots and remember what it feels like to hit that nice sweet shot

female golfer tips: never scold yourself on the golf course

2010-05-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

it's so easy to beat yourself up over a bad shot, an unlucky shank, topping your pitch over the back of the green etc
how come its difficult to keep those berating thoughts out and welcome in those loving, nourishing thoughts ?
how come we often set up to a shot previewing all the bad shots we hit out of the same position or same type of lie ?

i have this theory that we're so used to scolding ourselves that we get used to the idea that we aren't that good at golf or we have no talent at the game and we eventually feel quite comfortable playing the usual round of golf. so much so that when a negative thought creeps into our mind, it becomes quite hard to remove it because we feel uncomfortable without it. it's like we've made ourselves believe that we will never play a score during a round of golf that it is hard imagining ourselves playing a 79.

its the 51, 39. 39,50. or what i like to call the 90 curse.
you play 51 on the front nine and get so frustrated that you switch to this heck-care attitude which relaxes you and makes you hit 39 on the back nine. then you beat yourself up over why you didn't play better on the first 9 so you break 90.
or you hit 39 on the front nine and then try so hard to keep up with the pars and birdies that you go hit a 51 on the back nine because your mind went and made the game so complicated. then you berate yourself for screwing up the back nine holes.

i know it isn't easy and i'm still working on getting better at doing it. but if you keep trying you will get better. don't scold yourself on the golf course for doing something less than perfect or ideal. no one hits the ball perfectly into the right spot where you want it land 100%

be less harsh on yourself and don't give up !

best birthday present for daddy

2010-05-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

hapy birthday daddy !
although it was 3 days late and 3 strokes higher than i planned, but it still is the closest i've been to breaking 80. played 38 on the first 9 holes thanks to sinking 2 birdie putts and 44 on the next 9 mainly because i missed 2 short simple putts but overall i'm really really happy because i learnt the importance of keeping your mind in the game and not scolding yourself for hitting a bad shot or missing a putt. easier said than done because one bad thought lasted me 3 holes and then took me another 3 holes to get my head back to where it should be.

but i'm really glad because it was a great experience and i know that the next time it happens i will be better at handling the situation and i hope that i will be able to weed out unhelpful thoughts when they occur and can continue playing well

go on., fight strong lim shuyan ! you can do it !

start the game without planning for the score you want to hit. just focus on each shot, putt, pitch, drive etc and good scores will come automatically because it is just the natural thing to happen

fishy luck !

2010-05-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

although this blog is aimed to provide female golfer tips, i also like to share about my life and my journey towards improving my golf and i hope that even if my stories seem like they don't relate to you, there will be something to learn from my experiences and how i link them to my golf game.

i have this fish tank at home that was full of grass (the fish tank kind) so in order to prevent mosquitoes from breeding, we bought some fish. (dengue fever is a grave issue and we don't want to be part of the problem). so anyway we bought 2 tiger barb and 2 gourami fish. in case you don't know what they look like, HERE:

TIGER BARB

GOURAMI

this story is about the gourami fish, i like them more because they are bright red in color and the tiger barb are dull in color and like to hide in the grass.

longwinded as this story may seem, i find it necessary to outline all details in order to bring out its full effect.

so it starts out that we see this green-ish bubbly patch at the top of the tank a few days after we put the fish inside and one of the gourami always stays under it. it really looked like a sponge dropped in and grew mouldy. so we did some research and found out that the male gourami makes a bubble nest together with leaves and grass then waits under it to attract the female so they can mate.

within a week, our other gourami died (we suspect is was male too anyway so no chance of mating there) and the bubbles slowly disappeared though the grassy mass was still floating there. in my quest to make baby gouramis we went and bought 2 more. the fish shop people couldn't tell the difference between male and female so we just chose 2 more that looked healthy and just hoped for the best. its a hit or miss type of situation.

brought the 2 new gouramis home on sunday. stock take is 3 gourami and 2 tiger barb.

on tuesday morning we found 1 gourami half dead but unable to swim kinda half floating on the water surface so we took him out and byebye fishy. on thursday afternoon we were observing the fishes and could only find 1 gourami (the male waiting patiently under his nest) and still the 2 tiger barb ( i'm beginning to think i should take them out of the story), the other gourami was missing. close inspection led us to the conclusion it was eaten by a bird who probably perched itself on top of the fish tank and waited to swoop down and eat its prey. i was sad because my fish mating plan had failed again. sigh

saturday afternoon, we came home from playing golf. i was happy that my game was a bit better and i was focusing on better mental strategy. i went to say hi to my fishes and then tadah ! the missing gourami appeared!!!!! after further observation, i am lead to the conclusion that we now have 1 male and 1 female gourami and there seem to be gourami fry (i seem to be the only one capable of making out the tiny fry but i am certain they exist).

whoopie !!!!

what a great start to the month of may !!! yippeeee wheeeee !! i'm so happy. they say a house with trees that fruit will be prosperous ( we do have a fruiting mango tree) yayyy and so a house with a fish tank of mating fish must be prosperous too !! although its my own logic i believe the lim house will be so prosperous from now onwards !! for 77 years whoo hooo

ok anyway i really think it is a good sign that my golf will bear fruit and errm we'll see the fruits of my labour soon. or the fruits of my labour to come. i feel such motivation and excitement again !

female golfer tips: playing 'gimme'

2010-05-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

'gimme' is a tricky novelty way of playing golf. in the SICC May Day Charity 2010, we played this way to try to speed up play. they draw a white ring around the hole and you pick up your ball and add a stroke to your score if you land within the hole. the main idea is that you're sure to sink the putt from that distance so they just give it to you.

we ended up aiming to get inside the circle, which has its pros and cons.

for players who don't putt as well as they would like to (like me currently), 'gimme' offers a guarantee on short putts. i sometimes miss those really short putts so this format really took the pressure off my game. however, when you miss the circle by a little bit it gets so frustrating because you have to "work" hard to get the next putt into the hole.

the bad thing about gimme is that you often just try to get the ball inside the circle instead of getting into the HOLE. because each time you enter the circle, you are effectively adding a stroke to your score. if you aim to go INTO the HOLE, you might sink a few of them and shave off some of your score.

female golfer tips: notice wildlife on the golf course

2010-05-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

i think i either have an affinity with animals or my eyes just spot animal movements well. could be something to do with my eyesight that is short sighted in one eye and long sighted in the other.

at the golf course that i play, there are monkeys, monitor lizards, various birds, turtles, fish and sometimes even snakes. there's so much wildlife mainly because its situated next to the reservoir. i always smile when i see animals and take the time to greet them and thank them for coming to say hello to me. sounds strange but it really lightens my mood on the golf course and takes my mind off trying to hit a good score. you could call it a pleasant distraction.

i noticed two birds with a green tummy and red-ish head sitting in the tree and chirping. then there was this kingfisher with a worm in its mouth just sitting next to my golf ball. and then the silent, still monitor lizard hiding under a tree in the shade.i feel so lucky to always see cool animals.

thank you animals for making my golf games so fun and interesting !

if you enjoyed my female golf tip, do share with me what wildlife you see at your golf course :)

female golfers' challenge : period

2010-05-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

female golfer tips: always be proud that you're a woman and play stronger when you have menstruation

why ? because we go through what men will never ever experience. and we go through it on a monthly basis.
it is the source of our mood swings, grouchiness, and sense of over-whelming emotions. who can blame us for feeling this way when we feel bloated, uncomfortable, weak and even worse when suffering from stomach cramps.

it is no wonder that it is even harder to play golf during those days because you find it harder to swing, harder to concentrate and then harder to control your emotions which often makes you more frustrated when the ball doesn't go where you want it to.

its on those horrible frustrating days when you need sound fundamentals to get you through, revel in the fact that you endure more hardship than men and use that strength to play better golf. don't let menstruation get to you and pull your game down. channel all that extra energy during your period and let it be be the driving force to improve your golf game

1st of may a new golf beginning

2010-04-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

i love the start of a new month
1. it just feels like a new beginning , a time to restart and refresh, reassess my situation and figure how to move on and improve
2. i get pocket money heh heh
3. it means the 4th is coming, love love

the may day charity is always played on May 1 at SICC. tomorrow i will be playing with mummy. gonna have better thought processes and increased confidence when i play tomorrow. think positive and hit positively on every shot. execute it with confidence. no deceleration on the downswing

i really need to see things in perspective and get more serious. no excuses for that time of the month

-soften grip pressure, keeping thumb resting on the club instead of digging into the grip
-turn right heel down and inwards on the downswing
-keep wrist angle at impact instead of letting wrists release (the arms rotate not the wrists)
-and finally, feel how i want to hit the shot before executing it positively

awesome score! here i come !

i believe that MAY will be a good month.

different stress personalities

2010-04-27T03:49:00.003-07:00

this month's 'shape' magazine has an article on 'what's your stress personality?'. It didn't occur to me until the end of the article that I'm a different stress type in different situations or even a combination/accumulation of stress types. here's an outline of the 4 stress types and you can figure out yours too.

1. never feel anxiety- until it manifests as mystery aches and pains
= in detach and-and-shut-down mode
(tend to turn to sleep and comfort foods)

medical reason:
nervous system functions at chronically low levels so you become emotionally flat.

solution:
keep a mood journal. Regularly jot down your feelings and you can better recognise when pressure is building so you can relax before you fall sick. also, try yoga to help you tune in to your body

2.under stress you panic thinking about everything that needs to get done
= in overdrive
(prone to insomnia and colds)

Medical reason:
overactive sympathetic nervous system (part that turns on the brain's emergency responses) pumps out more cortisol (the stress hormone) that the body can process so you are on constant alert.

Solution:
do aerobics exercises like running or kickboxing to help you blow off steam because it lowers cortisol levels.

3. under stress you have a short burst of energy but burn out.
=dash-and-crash personality

Medical reason: parasympatheric response (the part that turns off the fight-or-flight reaction) kicks into overdrive and suppress the chemicals that keep you alert which then lead to fatigue.

Solution:
Centre meals around protein rich food like eggs, its and chicken as they are high in the amino acid that's needed to make you feel alert.

4. Under stress you are fearful and avoid confrontation
= fried-and-frazzled type
(higher risk of hives and allergies)

Medical reason:
Insufficient amounts of the stress hormone cortisol and a spike in norepinephrine (chemical that keeps you alert) leave you feeling overwhelmed and nervous. It also triggers inflammation.

Solution: eat plenty of foods high in omega3 like fish and walnuts ti reduce inflammation. Do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise such as pirates three times a week to ramp up your energy.

In my usual life I am a number 4. I dislike confrontations and always want to be peaceful. But in golf I used to be a 1 but maybe I'm more of 3 now. When I first started on this journey 3 months ago I was uber optimistic and had no stress so I was kind of in detached and shut down, until I started to ache in my feet, my arms, my wrist.

When I was studying in melbourne I exhibited a lot of type 2. I'd be panicking all the time. Especially when exams were coming up or assignment due dates were near. it showed because I would bite my nails till they were so short they hurt. HAHA

These days I feel more of a 3. I get really energetic and then I crash. It might be because I've gotten hungry or my energy was due to a sugar High. energy is good !

golfing audi R8 style

2010-04-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

was browsing through 'exquisite' magazine and I saw this write up on the audi R8. I know absolutely nothing about cars and it puzzles me that the R8 has a V8 engine but can also have a V10 engine. But I do know beauty when I see it.

I'm actually a mercedes benz girl but the picture really caught my eye and gave me a good idea for an analogy in golf when I read that the audi R8 combines 'direct gasoline injection, dry sumptuous lubrication and a high revving concept'.

my analytical mind developed from marketing class at melbourne university makes me think that the big words coupled with the 'sexy' picture is meant to elicit feelings of class and power because expensive luxury items such as cars are largely emotional purchases and you pay such a high price because of the image that comes with the car.

The point is that I relate the audi R8 to golfing because we should aim to look good when we play golf and back it up with sound mechanics and skill just like the R8.

my dad came up with the analogy that your golf swing is like a car. It needs to run smoothly and it needs all the parts to work together in order to do so. like how the car needs all 4 wheels to be turning smoothly, we need to use 4 limbs to work together in a smooth rhythm to hit the ball well. similar to the car the needs all its internal parts to carry out their functions, the muscles in our body must also do their part in order for our limbs to move in sync and smoothly

positive image in golf

2010-04-26T18:50:00.003-07:00

projecting a positive image of yourself is all about appearance, behaviour and communication. but if I were to sum it up in one word it would be communication because the way you dress and behave is also communicating who you are to the people around you. Your image is the way you market yourself.

At university we often talked about branding ourselves or thinking of ourselves as a brand. think perez hilton and everything about him and his website that makes him so unique.

positive image is important when going for interviews but it is also very important on the golf course and at the golf club.

I aim to project a friendly but hardworking image when I play golf but I know that sometimes I go into this moody zone and look really unfriendly and unapproachable. I'm still looking for a way to be cheerful when I'm demoralized without having to cover up how I feel.

if I were a golfing celebrity then maybe I'd have to be all smiles all the time but I'm sure some people would call me 'so fake'. You can never please everyone.

good looking people are often more marketable in terms of jobs but in golf its more important to be well groomed, dress smartly and neatly, have confidence and carry yourself well on and off the course in order to gain respect and recognition.

To leave a positive impression on golfers at the golf club and on the golf course, be consistent in the way you portray yourself. That is, dress as you want to be seen. Talk in a way (tone and volume) that you want to be heard. Act in a way you want to be remembered.

We can always dream of being admired from afar and that is possible if you leave people with a good impression.

to top it off, the most important accessory is a big big smile. Share it with all.

funny story: don't lick your golf balls

2010-04-26T18:33:00.001-07:00

there was a 65 year old man in Ireland who played golf everyday and experienced lethargy and abdominal discomfort, had dark urine and jaundice. He was diagnosed with acute hepatitis.

It was later discovered that this old man often licked his golf balls to clean them, exposing himself to the weed killer used on the greens.

This led to the golfer related hazard called ' golf ball liver'

The doctor ordered him to stop using his tongue to clean golf balls and his symptoms faded.

Funny part is that the next time the greens were sprayed with weed killer, he resumed licking his golf balls to challenge himself for a month. Obviously, his hepatitis symptoms returned.

HAHA its quite unlikely anyone I know would do that. But sometimes people just need reminding....

momoko ueda

2010-04-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

wow momoko !!
a golfing cartoon could be made out of her cos she's so cute! her name and style just seems so suitable for those japanese cartoons that are dubbed over in english. can't imitate the type of voice in text

i discovered her website and i really love the bright colors. i think you'd love it too so check it out http://www.momokoueda.com/en/profile/index.html">here she has videos of her swing and i was watching it and its good for my mind (this is what someone said about me when he was watching me swing) lol

funny story: monkeys are so fail

2010-04-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

the only other 'people' i can think of who loves sweet drinks as much as my family are the monkeys on the golf course. they have developed this amazing ability to sniff out your sweet drinks and snacks tucked well hidden away in your golf bag and buggy. it's not like we're carrying those packet drinks that are like in those plastic bags with the string to carry it in. they are in plastic bottles !!!

the funny thing is that this male monkey (i saw his balls) reached his hand inside the open pocket of my golf bag today and swiped my 100plus bottle. silly monkey actually bit a hole through the plastic bottle. but too bad... it was only water inside !! hahahahhas