The Steps to Better Golf

Setting goals is easy right?  Just think of what you want and boom, it’s a goal.  Not so fast my friends (in Lee Corso voice).

When it comes to golf goals, most students will tell me they want to shoot a certain score, or reduce their handicap by a certain amount.  Before a tournament, a player might tell me that they want to win, or finish in the top 10, qualify for the next event etc.  These are all “Result Goals” and can be dangerous.  They can be dangerous in the sense that the goal itself does not define the route to achievement.  In order to give yourself a chance to attain the goal, there must be a set of process goals that work towards the result goal.

A process goal is just as it sounds.  Rather than just an outcome, a process goal is one of the steps to attain the overall goal. 

So let’s take a player who decides that in 2013 the Number 1 Goal is to break 80 on a consistent basis.  He now has one goal.

 #1 Break 80 Consistently.

If his (result) goal is to break 80 on a consistent basis, a very real and needed process goal would be to average hitting 8 greens in regulation in a round.  So now he has two goals.

 #1 Break 80 Consistently
#2 Hit 8 Greens in Regulation per Round

Not surprisingly just deciding that he wants to hit 8 greens in regulation will require some attention.  What does our player need to do in order to make 8 GIR’s realistic?  There may be some practice time required and perhaps some help from a great golf instructor.

#1 Break 80 Consistently
#2 Hit 8 Greens in Regulation per Round
#3 Take 4 lessons with the a Golf Instructor
#4 Practice three times per week

Using a systematic approach like we illustrated above is how you can achieve your goals.  Decide what you want to do, determine what steps need to occur to achieve the overall goal and then; get to work on the process goals.  By committing to those goals you are working intelligently towards the overall goal.  As you take care of the process goals you are inching always closer to overall success.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this.  What steps do you need to put in place in order to reach your Ultimate Goal?

 

 

Pre Season Golf Starts Now

Now that frost delays here in the north are creeping closer and closer to lunchtime, it is time to admit that the 2012 golf season is just about over.  So as we are at the end of the year, it is time to reflect, analyze and plan.  Reflect on how this last season went, analyze what areas of the game need to be improved and plan how to make 2013 a better year.  The time to do this is now. I always talk to students about the winter in New England being the Pre-Season, not the Off Season.   The worst thing you can do is put the clubs away until the course opens in the spring.  This is wasting valuable time as well as giving away your golf fitness level.

So this week, please go through the following process to start getting ready for the upcoming season.

1. Did I have goals for 2012 and did I meet them?
   1. If you did meet your goals, did you get what you wanted out of it?
   2. If you did not meet your goals, why?

i.      Were they unrealistic?

ii.      Did you have a plan to make these goals attainable?

1. What area of the game was I best at?
   1. Divide golf into segments

i.      Full Swing

ii.      Partial Shots (Chips, Pitches)

iii.      Putting

iv.      Specialty Shots (Bunker Play, Trouble Shots)

v.      Course Management/Mental Game

1. What part of the game was my biggest weakness?
2. What part of the game can I improve to create the biggest positive impact on my game for next year?
   1. Keep in mind, hitting the driver further in many cases will have little to no impact on your score.
   2. Be sure to understand the breakdown of shots in a round of golf.

i.      14 driver swings in a round at most

ii.      40% of your shots are with a putter

iii.      Roughly 2/3 of your shots will be less than a full swing

1. What are my goals for 2013?
   1. Are they attainable?
   2. How will you achieve them?
   3. Do you have the time to dedicate in order to achieve them?
   4. What help do you need to achieve them?

Next year will be my 24^th season in the golf business.  Every Spring I hear people saying “This is my year! I am going to play better!”  If you wait until the spring to start your improvement plan, you are short changing yourself.  Use this winter to put a plan in place and by the time the courses open in the spring you will already be a better player.

Find out about Winter Coaching Packages from ConnorGolf

”Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers