The Choice: Part One

There comes a point in time where I can take a hint. I usually see or hear something enough times where I finally decide to do something about it. That time has come and is how I ended up with this article.

Recent discussions all with players I've worked with at one point or another have inspired me to write about that choice that more people should make. No, it's not a major life choice, but it does have to do with choosing how you are going to approach your golf game. Your choices affect the level of success you wish to achieve.

The First Conversation

Student: I feel like I lose my feels quickly. I'll do something that's new to me and it's easy to tell when I do it and when I don't. Then the more I do it, it becomes more comfortable and I can no longer tell when I'm doing it and when I'm not. I felt like I had no idea where the ball may go yesterday and shot 35 on the front. Don't ask about the back. It caught up to me.

Me: Managing your game is the easy part.

Student: Not when you hit shots you're not expecting to hit and continue to try what you normally hit even though you've not hit it all day. Yeah, I know. Head case.

Pause in between his message and his next message...

Student: Probably just need to adjust my brain/eyes/thinking. Just aggravating how you can play for weeks hitting baby draws and boom, can't draw one to save my life. Has to be club face at impact because I've been on TrackMan enough to know the path is positive.

Ding ding ding ding! Winner. And the first lesson...

Understand that the fade or draw you might be accustomed to hitting won't be "the same" every single day. They might vary in the amount of curvature. The ball striking might not be "the same" every single day. One day you might hit more solid shots than the next day. But rather than resign to a poor day of golf after a couple lousy shots on the range, hit the reset button and start hitting better shots.

What is that reset button? Maybe it is a drill from a Coaching Program that helps them create better ball striking. Maybe it is a feeling to better control the club face and change the ball flight. Either way, players searching for improvement have a heightened sense of awareness and the presence of the mind to recognize when to hit the reset button.

Start making a choice that allows you to adapt to changing conditions, circumstances, and persevering when playing this game.

And keep an eye out for The Choice: Part Two.