Is hitting the 300-yard long puck the best advice to follow?
I love golf. I’ve been practicing this sport since I was 12 years old and I’ve seen it grow by leaps and bounds. Heck, when I was young, I could bike to the county course and play 9 for $9. The remaining dollar was stamped for fries at the house halfway down the street. The driving range was a “stop and sock” and the golf carts had no roof. Those were better days and better times.
In a moment of clarity, I compared how golf was taught and what you need to do to get great scores with the marketing materials that come our way today. This game has become a slippery power machine where long shots trump touch and feel. Partygoers wear their hats and believe that buying a $300 screw-in driver will change the way they play golf. Trust me, I’m not bitter at all. I applaud all technological advances… but for the average golfer I know without a doubt that what marketers preach isn’t really the answer to shooting better games.
Now I’m going to say what I think. I have played this game for 30 years. I have taught it. I have won more than my share of rounds. For starters, guys (and girls), if you really want to know how to improve your game, without a doubt in my mind, you should PRACTICE (ok… I can hear the groans from here)! Yes, the magic cure is so simple, practical. Now I’m not talking about hitting the long drive. In fact, don’t even think about the long ball UNTIL YOU CAN CHIP-PITCH-PUTT! If you need help, pay the $50 and get a lesson with a professional. Left to our own devices, we’ll just spin and build terrible golf apparel. Learn the basic mechanics and work on your chipping, putting and pitching. Now I know there are no thrills with this activity…you can’t watch the ball fly into the skies that we all love to watch. But, I promise you that if you can put the ball down the hole and put it in consistently, you will see a dramatic difference in your score and game GUARANTEED! In addition, this type of practice develops the perception of “touch and feel”, which is an attribute that all great golfers have. How do they get it? They practice, on real grass, chipping, pitching and putting, ball after ball until that shot is consistently “in the bag.”
Because I have the audacity to mention the practice, you may now be thinking, “How long does this take?” or “When will I see the results?” These are fair and very humane questions on your part. My answer has always been this: “When you know you don’t need to guess anymore, then take it to the course!”
Lastly, while there is a lot to practice with a purpose, here are a couple of quick tips.
1. Be present when you practice. Imagine you’re out in the field shooting a round when you’re jumping, pitching, and putting. There is a BIG difference between practice and play. Get into the position that you are taking these shots during a practice round.
2. We are human. We process a billion different things at any given time. Give yourself time to calm down and relax. Before you go to play a round, be sure to warm up to calibrate your mind and body to range. That means “wake up” all the effort you put in during the week by practicing. Please don’t just run out onto the field (like all weekend warriors do) expecting to shoot a big game. Warm up, see what happens with your swing for that day…because it’s always changing…hence the beautiful game of golf…
I apologize if any of you think this was a rant. I just want to help develop players and contribute to the game of golf. Most of what I see changing in the industry doesn’t make sense to me! The game isn’t about hitting the long drive or a putter with moon rocks. The game is about YOU and what you have inside. All great golfers know it… and now you do too…
~Mitch