Golfers tend to be frustrated creatures of habit. When you talk to your average golfer about their weekend round, their shot by shot recap of their round usually ends with a score that they are not happy with and a few excuses of why the score should have been better. The reality is that most golfers continue to make the same mistakes over and over and continue to expect different results. Long term incremental improvement actually is not that difficult if you can take a step back, assess your weaknesses and create a plan to improve.
Evaluate your game and your season
I sit down with my students two times per year to evaluate their game, and reestablish some short term and long term goals. Living up north where we have cold winters, I usually do one of these meetings in the spring just before we move outside for the season, and one meeting in the fall. During the spring we set goals that are specific. Specific goals could include:
- Reach a certain Handicap
- Shoot a certain score
- How often you are going to practice your short game each week
- Average a certain number of putts per round
- Increase distance by a specific amount
Etc…..
Be specific!! “Playing better” is not a specific goal. Yes, you want to achieve this, but how are you going to do it?
In the fall, our conversation starts with a recap of the season. How much did a golfer play, what went well, what didn’t go so well. What were the biggest weaknesses and what were the biggest strengths? The goal is to identify which areas of the game need the most focus.
Even elite golfers can get better at all aspects of their game. But, trying to work on everything at once can often lead to unorganized practice sessions. Weekend golfers may only have a limited amount of time to work on their golf game. So, identify where you can get the most bang for your buck out of your practice. Where are you losing the most shots, or what part of your game is causing the most frustration. Again, be specific.
Develop a plan to get better
Once you have clearly stated your goal or goals, it is time to design a plan to make things better. For example, if you stink at putts from 4-6 feet, identify how and how and how often you are going to work on this area of your game. Maybe pick two drills that you are going to do for 60 minutes per week broken into three 20 minute practice sessions.
You cannot simply say that you are going to practice your putting more. You need to identify what you are going to do, and how often you are going to do it. Anything less than this will result in wasted practice, and a continued lack of success.
A plan needs to be specific, organized, and written down!! Write down what you are going to do, and when you are going to do it. Schedule it into your calendar just like any other
appointment. Take a more organized approach to getting better. Develop a plan for areas of your game thatyou want to improve, and then be disciplined about your practice. You will see results, and in turn, the game will be more fun.
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