Tag: golf goal

Golf Goals – Get Focused, Keep Motivated

Doesn’t everyone want to get better at golf? Of course! And “get better at golf” means something different to each and every player. Maybe it’s a lower handicap, or a higher level of comfort and confidence. Maybe it’s all about having more fun with the game. Think about what “get better at golf” means to you. That’s the starting point for setting some measurable short-term goals for the new season. Goals keep us focused and motivated so let’s get to it…

nike free trainer 7.0 reviews
A Goal is…

  • Not necessarily score-based, but measurable
  • Challenging and realistic – think Goldilocks, not too big, not too small, just right
  • Not in concrete – you can change them over the season
  • Documented. Write them in your golf journal. Don’t have a journal? Start one – there’s a measurable goal right there!

3 TYPES OF GOLF GOALS

nike air max barkley

1.  Performance Goals
Consider strengths and weaknesses in your game. Think about last year. Talk to your instructor. Pinpoint areas of weakness and make a plan to improve.

Example: Lower my putting average by 3 strokes by October

  • Take a putting lesson in May
  • Do a putter fitting to find out best type of putter for my swing
  • Find a set up routine that works and use it every time I putt
  • Practice putting 1/2 hour 3 times a week
  • Keep track of putting stats throughout the season

2.  Mental Goals
On the course we can go from confident to confused in a matter of minutes. Identify the mental skills you want to sharpen.  Facing down tension? Maintaining commitment? Staying focused on your game instead of what your partner is doing?
nike air max trainer
Example: Increase my comfort level playing golf

  • Join a league or be a sub for a league
  • Play that course you always avoid
  • Play a round alone – you’ll feel what relaxation can do for your game!
  • Play in one event this summer
  • Play on a Saturday or Sunday morning when the course is busy and everyone’s watching

new oakley sunglasses

3.  All-About-Fun Goals
Never forget why we play golf! It’s all about having a good time, and whether your personal definition of  “good time” is a championship trophy or a grandkid’s smile, there are lots of ways to get there. Here are some All-About-Fun Goals for the upcoming season. Be sure to make several!

  • Play in a charity event
  • Sign up for a competition and prepare to succeed
  • Take a lesson or clinic with a friend or two or three
  • Make a FIRM date with person you always mean to play with, and never have
  • Play with a kid – Huron Hills has Wee Tees!
  • Get 3 friends together for a golf get-away
  • Ask a new golfer to play with you
  • Go see some competitive golf in person

Write them down; make them yours. Golf goals are all about “getting better” one way or another!

Golf Goals

Breaking records is great, but most snow in February? Give me a warm March day anytime! For a golfer, possibilities and promise are in the air, and it’s the perfect time to set achievable goals for the season. A goal is just a dream with a date attached – and who doesn’t love to dream after a long winter?

Whether it’s whittling your handicap 2 or 3 strokes, building assurance in your short game or confidence in competition, or just plain having more fun with golf, setting goals is an effective way to approach your game. Here’s my golf goals game plan:

nike free 5

  1. Start with the end in sight. What’s your dream? What’s your definition of a great golf season? Solve a slice, become a better putter, move up a flight in your league, make more time for golf. Pick one goal… or pick ten.
  1. Do a reality check.. We’d all like to be scratch golfers. Is it within the realm of possibility this season? Achievable goals make for big rewards. Golf is hard enough without overlaying it with outsized expectations.
  1. Make it challenging. Commit some energy and discipline to the cause.
  1. Define the how-to’s, the concrete steps to attain a goal. Want to have more fun with golf? Make a list of ideal partners and courses for the season, promise to stop editorializing after every bad hit, and toss in a feel-good charity event. You’d like to kiss your slice good bye? Why not start the season with 2 lessons, a commitment to a weekly practice and an honest assessment of your 10-year-old clubs?
  1. Write it down. Make it yours. Check out my earlier post on keeping a golf journal.

oakley breathless sunglasses

  1. Pin a date on it. Let’s say, the end of the season, by Labor Day, or before the snow flies. Cancel that last one. We are so done with thinking about snow!!!