Enjoy the game
Golf can be very difficult and frustrating for players at every level. One of the most important things the best players do is to play one shot at a time
We can’t change what has already happened and we can’t control the future. When you learn to focus on the shot at hand and that shot only, your scores will improve. We are all going to hit poor golf shots. What you do with your next shot could have a lot to do with the way the remainder of your round goes.
What do I mean by “manage your expectations?” You might have a goal to break 100, 90, 80, par or even breaking 70. It’s fine to have those goals but while you are playing you don’t want to be focused on that during your entire round. Once again, try to focus on the shot at hand and stay in that moment.
Almost every player has come down to the last few holes and realized that they have a chance of beating a score goal. The hardest thing to do in that situation is to not look ahead and try to figure out what scores you need to make on those holes to attain the goal. It is almost impossible to ignore it completely, which makes it fine to recognize it.
Once you have recognized it, try making small goals for each shot. Narrow your focus on your target. Don’t think, “I just want to hit the fairway, oh please let me just hit the fairway.” Pick a small target, like the edge of a bunker or a tree in the distance. If you have a potential target that is above ground level that can be even better.
The first time I played Pebble Beach was in the California State Amateur Championship while I was in college. The eighth hole at Pebble is a blind tee shot. The teeing ground is beyond and a little left of the famous 107 yard par-3 seventh hole. My caddie, one of my college teammates, had played Pebble a few times so he told me to aim at a specific window on a house in the distance. I did so and striped my tee shot directly at that window and ended up in the middle of the fairway. If you miss your small target by a little, great, you will have a good second shot. If you miss by a lot, don’t beat yourself up as you are going to your ball.
When you get to your ball, assess your next shot carefully and make your decision on what to do based on what you are absolutely the most comfortable with. Don’t try to pull off a shot you have never tried before to be a hero. Hit the shot that gives you the best chance of making a good score but not one that could be disastrous to your chances of reaching your goal. Continue to play like that until you finish your round and add them up at the end.
If you reached your goal, then celebrate. If you didn’t reach your goal, take a little time to review your round to figure out where you could have saved some shots. The next time you practice focus on the things that will improve your score and practice more like the way you play.
Take a little more time between range balls and go through the same pre-shot routine you use on the course. Focus on small targets not big ones. Doing this will make your misses get more narrow.
If you are struggling with any part of your game or you just need a tune-up. Come see me at Vista Valencia GC. You can contact me at vistadoi@gmail.com or (661)253-1870 ext. 2