ASK KELLY ROSE KRONEN!
(Duramed Futures Tour Pro)
(you can ask Kelly a question and read past answers at the end of this intro. or by clicking here!)
- Three-time winner of the GHO Cannon Golfer of the Year Award (2002, 2003, 2004).
- Two-time winner of the Buick Championship Tournament (2003, 2004).
- Two-time winner of the GHO Tournament Junior Series (2003, 2004).
- Named the #1 golfer in Connecticut (2004, 2005).
- Named the #1 golfer in New England (2004, 2005).
- Winner of the Connecticut Junior Golf Association Tournament of Champions.
- Winner of the 2004 National Open High School Golf Championship.
- Competed in the 2005 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship.
Hey "I Suck at Golf" fans!!!
My name is Kelly Rose Kronen I am 21 years old and a professional golfer on the Duramed Futures Tour. Please feel free to ask me questions or make comments. I am here for you and to help you get better! So ask away!!
Here is a little about me and how I got into golf…I started hitting balls with my father every weekend just to spend time with him when I was eight years old. When I turned twelve he thought I was old enough to go out to a public golf course and try to play. It was then that I fell in love with the game. I was hooked on the game. I would get ready for school watching the golf channel. I would come home from school doing my homework watching the golf channel.
During my high school years I was All State, all FCIAC and all American. I was rated the top female golfer in New England and led my high school team to states every year and every year we won and I was undefeated in my high school career. I missed my high school graduation because I was in a New England tournament in New Hampshire. I went on and won the All American golf tournament in my junior year in Virginia Beach and was named Cannon's GHO Golfer of the Year two years in a row. I also won the Danbury Amateur at Richter Park GC in 2007.
After high school I went on to Barry University in Miami Florida on a full scholarship and played golf there for two years. My love for golf was still there but my love for my father was stronger and he was diagnosed with cancer in my freshman year. It was very difficult to be away from home knowing he was going through chemotherapy without me. I missed him and my game and my grades reflected that. I came home from college to be with my father and decided at that point that I was just going to try to reach my goal of becoming a professional golfer.
My father went through his cancer and so far everything is good which I am truly grateful for. I have started my own endowment fund called the Kelly Rose Kronen endowment. I want to be able to give back and help people in need. Going through it and knowing first hand what happens I can relate. I want to be able to help pay for cat scans, mortgage payments, car payments, groceries all things that come very hard to pay for. I am a big believer in giving back and having that chance to do so is a blessing. I want to have a very positive impact on the tour.
The first tip for my I SUCK AT GOLF fans is about your mental game. Since you came to this web site (ISUCKATGOLF), chances are you already think you suck at golf when in fact you don’t. If you truly sucked at golf you would not be here trying to improve your game. One of the most important things needed to play well is your mental game. Just like the tiny little engine who thought he could, you need to have the mind set "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!" And you can! You no longer have to have the mentality that you suck at golf. You have to get your mind in the right spot in order to hit that ball straight. Are you worried about bills when you are teeing up on that first tee, then you need to either leave the tee or leave those thoughts behind. Make sure when you come out to play a round of golf that your cell phone is left in your bag shut off and your mind is free to enjoy the wonder of the game. Leaving as many of life's worries as you can at home is the first step to freeing your mind and playing your best golf.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this little bit about me and my first "K-Rose Tip!"
Thank you and can’t wait for your questions!
Kelly Rose Kronen
“No Fear"
Click here to ask Kelly your golf questions!
Surround yourself with positive people
When To Get Fitted For New Clubs?
June 08
Hi Kelly,
I’m on the boys high school golf team (the only girl) as a Sophomore. I currently play #4 of 6. I shoot around 44 for 9 holes on a pretty tough home course. I’m trying to convince my dad that I need to get fitted for new clubs as I’m playing with clubs we bought off the shelf 2-3 years ago, and I don’t know if they are right for me. Maybe they are perfect, but I don’t know. Can you tell me what clubs you play and when you were fitted for your first set and how important you think that is? (it may help with convincing my dad to spring for a new set if you agree!)
Thanks so much,
Cindy O.
Tempe AZ.
Hi Cindy
Thank you for your email, it excites me to see there are girls out there that want to play golf so bad that they will even play on the boys team! There is no other feeling then being able to compete and beat the boys! I had done that in my freshman year as well. The experience of playing competitive golf is the best and can only help in the long run.
I was 15 years old when I was fitted for my first set of clubs and started playing when I was 13 years old. From there on I would periodically get the alignment checked to make sure it fits my swing if you are going through some swing changes. My address or posture might be different and might effect the ball flight or where you are hitting it on the club… Also you do grow out of your clubs as you get older and your body and your swing changes but it is important to be fitted I believe, if you are really serious about the game.
What I would tell your father is convince him that the money he invests in you now will pay off in two years from now when you are looking at colleges. If you work on your game you could get a golf scholarship, start working on that in your junior year. There are tons of schools that offer them, division one schools and division two schools as well. When I was looking at colleges I had sent my resume out to every school in every state that I wanted to go to, and just waited. Somewhere warm of course! The one who offered me the most money was where I was going to go. Your dream of playing collegiate golf is within your reach and that is how I would approach your Dad. He is investing in your future.
I hope this helps and I am happy for you to be playing with the boys. Just let me warn you…once you beat a boy they seem to never want to play with you again!!
Take care, good luck and hit him hard. If you need help with colleges or anything don't hesitate to ask!
K-Rose
JULY 08
Kelly,
It seems like this year every time we play it’s raining! Do you have any suggestions on what to keep in the bag and what to do to keep your grips dry. Have you tried rain gloves? Someone said something about putting a paper towel on the grip before you grip if it’s really wet and it will stick. Haven’t tried it though. What do you do special if anything when it’s raining?
Thanks much!
Dave
Hi Dave,
Rain seems to be more of a common things these days, it is either raining for days or we go weeks without it. My only advice to you in to carry a huge bath towel and just constantly wipe your grips down. I tried rain gloves when I was in tournament play but they really did not feel comfortable. Having two cloves on seemed to be bulky for me. . At least for me anyway's. I think the best bet is to bring some baby powder in your bag and sprinkle very little on your hand before you put it in the glove because gloves seems to get sticky when it is wet and hard to slide over your hand, the baby powder makes it a little bit easier to slip on and also dry's up the hands. I hope this helps you out. Just really try to keep you and those grips dry by keeping them under an umbrella or another towel. My dad used to bring two big towels with him, one for his head and another for the clubs. What a site!. Stay dry as much as you can. Remember the sun always comes out tomorrow.
Happy golfing and thanks for the question.
Kelly
Straightens Legs on Back swing
July 08
Kelly,
How do I correct myself from standing up every time I swing the club my husband calls it up & down
thank you
Bertie H.
Bertie,
Thank you for your question. It sounds from the question that you are having too much movement in your lower body. I would suggest you do practice drills out in your back lawn or at the range. Take a 5 iron and have your feet together and take 50- 60% swings. It gives you a feeling that all your power does not have to be created by your feet moving up and down and your shoulders and upper body can do some of the work.
Our power is generated from our feet up. If you are moving them too much, it’s going to impact our consistency and power. Try to feel like your feet are in cement. Keeping them still, planted on the ground will make your swing more reliable and the less movement you have in your body the easier it will be to swing and the swing itself will be more compact. Our body has to compensate for the added movement of our body going up and down so the timing or sequence will not be correct causing erratic shots. The timing of your swing should be hips shoulder arms when you take it back and when you come down.
Thank you so much and maybe with these tips you can kick your husbands butt out on the course!
Kelly Rose Kronen
Surround Yourself With Positive People
commentary by K-Rose (July 08)
Hi I Suck at Golf Fans,
No matter what you do in life you some how always come upon people who do not believe in you. Every time you are near them all you hear is negativity. Unfortunately the game of golf is not immune to that negativity either. Those of us who play this game know that on any given day you can shoot a bad round. Professional or not. We have seen Tiger Woods shoot over 80 as well as Phil, even the best have entered the 10 over par club. But why is it that as a rookie on the tour people seem to point out my faults. People who I thought were friends seem to glory in my demise on the golf course. In this day and age where all communications are done via emails and text messaging people seem to me more callous and brave when they are talking to you because they do not have to see you face to face and can spew their negativity in a text message or email.
I have decided to only keep positive people in my life. My advice to any of you that are thinking of making golf your career is to keep on pushing. Be like a horse with blinders on and stay focused. People for some reason are jealous of success. Just like people who like to slow down to look at an accident, people love to watch others misery. Those types of people I will no longer keep in my life, no matter who they are. If you love someone you are suppose to build them up and feed them with positive comments. Like your momma use to say if you don’t got nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.
So another learning curve along my path to the LPGA, overcoming negativity makes us grow and become stronger. If you have someone in your life that is negative, some we are stuck with such as family. but some we are not stuck with. Those people can take a hike, right off the golf course. Know who you are inside and stay focused on your game.
Thank you,
Kelly Rose Kronen
Kelly's Tournament Schedule
July 11 - 13 |
CIGNA Golf Classic |
July 18 - 20 |
Alliance Bank Golf Classic |
July 25 - 27 |
USI Championship |
August 8 - 10 |
Commonwealth Crooked Creek Classic |
August 15 - 17 |
Greater Richmond Duramed FUTURES Classic |
August 22 - 24 |
The Gettysburg Championship |
September 5 - 7 |
ILOVENY Championship |
Pro Golfer Kelly Rose Kronen
