Stuff Happens in Golf

Wed Jun 26, 2013 by Dave Phillips

If you analyzed any win on the PGA tour and even your own best score, there is always a component of randomness attached to it.  What I mean by that is you can prepare and practice all you want but there is always a bounce that goes your way, a putt that drops that shouldn’t   or a sudden collapse by an opponent that seems destined to win. Things often happen that you simply can’t control, but non the less the best performers often put themselves in position to win more than their opponents, by being prepared for everything.

Switching to another sport to drive home my point Dan Coyle author of the best selling book “The Talent Code” tells the story of LeBron James setting an off season goal to improve his game.  James ruthlessly analyzed his weaknesses and set out to build a new skill set that would make him a better teammate.  He hired a master coach and became a humble apprentice, breaking down his training sessions in order to learn new scoring moves.

Here’s James talking about the process:

“The biggest thing isn’t how much you work on things, it’s ‘Can you work on something, then implement it into a game situation?’” James says. “Can you bring what you’ve worked on so much and put it out on the floor with the finished product? I was happy that I was able to do that and make that transformation.”

In a nutshell this is what the best do, you can take the same approach with your own golf game.  Hire a coach and breakdown your weaknesses, then create a plan that focuses on those issues in detail. Spend your practice sessions eliminating your issue's and then put your new acquired skill into practice on the golf course as often as you can to get feedback, so you can check your progress. 

Make sure your coach goes with you to the golf course, to make sure you can perform in game situations like in practice.  As a coach I love to watch my students play, golf is the one sport that in most cases the coach or teacher never watches the student play. 

You may not be able to control the outcome of every round of golf due to random occurrences that happen everyday but you can prepare yourself to play your best.  If you are looking for a coach to help you, check out our TPI Certified section on our website and find a coach near you.

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