WPArcadeEngine | classic theme

1 – Choose a good model for your game. All learning occurs through a model.
2 – See the model clearly in your head. Study the model until you can see the complete motion in your mind’s eye. Know where the club is supposed to be throughout the motion. Know where you are supposed to be. You must have no “blind spots” in your view of the model.
3 – Become the model. Practice. Train your body to automatically seek the proper position. This will take some time. Sorry, I cannot tell a lie.
4 – Use your swing to send the ball somewhere. Introduce a ball only after you can consciously control the club (put it in the right place). Separate mechanics from golf. Swing to the target and watch what happens. Think “Hmmm, that’s neat, let’s send it over that way a little more.” Practice becomes preparation for play.
5 – Trust yourself and play. Stop working on your swing and “just do it.” Focus on the target and send your energy there. Play.
6 – Decide how good you want to get, and commit to a practice and play schedule that suits your goal. The better you want to get, the more time you will have to spend. This might actually be step one.
7 – Make sure you spend at least one-half of whatever practice time you have on the short game.

As far as the first five steps go, it is important, imperative actually, that you go in order. Most people go straight to Step 5, and never do get very good at the game. They end up giving up in frustration, thinking that golf is too difficult for them. Golf is not rocket science, it just has to be approached properly.

I don’t mean to imply that this is going to be a cake walk for you. You are sure to have your ups and downs, but you can now take a more long-term view of your golf game, realizing that you are on the right path to good golf. And that’s a whole lot better than floundering away with no clear idea of what you are trying to do in the first place. Be patient, and choose to have fun learning and playing. Play at learning. Play at practicing. Play at playing. Don’t work at playing. We already work enough.