If you want to achieve something you’ve never done before, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done before.
I’m not exactly sure where I even heard this quote, but it is 100% true.
Golf is the toughest sport on the planet. Your mind and body must work perfectly together for a few seconds.
Lowering your score requires laser focus and discipline.. which I see lacking in quite a few of my friends as they pursue a single digit handicap.
One buddy in particular has videos, coaches, and changes swings on the fly. This is never going to deliver the results he wants.
You see.. getting better at golf is rather boring. A lower handicap takes perseverance, not the instant results our digital age provides for many things.
Discipline.
Unfortunately, Apple or Samsung haven’t invented a chip you can plant in your brain to simplify the swing. In fact, there’s no such invention that makes getting better faster either. You still need to ‘dig it out of the dirt’.
And, unfortunately my buddy isn’t implementing discipline in his strategy to lower his score. He’s always chasing the latest gadget or swing coach.
Let’s face facts, golf is tough as hell.
Your brain needs to make thousands of calculations on the fly. I think this drawing sums it up quite nicely…
Essentially, golf comes down to repetition. Practicing the little things you can control and set up a chain reaction that flows nicely.
Beyond the setup, grip, stance, alignment and takeaway, we can’t consciously control anything. Taking a disciplined approach to the basics will yield dividends.
That’s why it’s so important to focus on discipline as the #1 thing you can implement to lower your golf score.
If you are chasing the latest fad, golf tip, or gadget.. here’s a little list I put together you can implement to get back to basics and get your game on track.
The Score Lowering Recipe
1. Responsibility
Take responsibility for your game. Don’t place it on your clubs or the ball you play. Ultimately,
it is you who tees the ball and strikes it.
2. Accountability
Holding yourself accountable to others is the easiest way. Tell your golf buddies your goals
and ask them to bust your chops if you stray off course.
3. Effort
Showing up and practicing instead of playing. Finding proper instruction and proceeding
under their guidance.
4. Consistency
Good intentions will only get you so far. You need to do it over an extended period of time.
5. Passion
If you love golf, then the above four items are a piece of cake.
Sounds simple, but the hard parts are #3 and #4. I think a lot of us come up with a solid plan for our game only to get sidetracked by friends or magazines. Its normal, and it’s not your fault.
We have been brainwashed by equipment manufacturers and gadget makers that we need the latest and greatest to solve our problems. This is the furthest thing from the truth.
A hundred years ago, the same principles that made Harry Vardon a great golfer are what made Phil Mickelson great. See above.
Christian “Plan For Success” Henning
P.S. If you haven’t entered the Golf Body Challenge, you can click here and find out all the details.
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