Playing golf for fun.

We have all watched football, many of you would have played competitively.  From my experience when you’re playing, you’re playing the game, there is not the same line between playing and practice.  Football is played at a faster pace with less time for decisions. Golf has so much time with the “silence” and “time” to allow your thoughts affect your play and many golfers slip into “practice mode” on the course, which is the last thing you would do in most other sports.

For those of you who have played on the course with me would have been witness to my mindset with MY game as well as YOURS.  After a bad shot I’m asked, “ so what did I do there ?” My most common answer is normally,  “it’s okay, it’s forward”.

This is the last thing you need to be doing on the course is trying to correct your swing,  you play with what you bring to the course on the day.  If you’re struggling, stay positive, keep your tempo and balance; that’s it.  You are there to PLAY and enjoy PLAYING the game,  learning now to get the ball around. 

This is why I coach all of my clients to learn and perfect the 50-yard shot and short game,  this part of the game will help you SO MUCH. 

Follow the link at the end and watch how two-time European Tour winner Sam Horsfield gets the ball around a course he’s never played in conditions he’s not prepared for.

When watching other professional golfers on TV  ( which isn’t as much as I’d like) I don’t pay too much attention to the swings,  it’s things that will work for ME and YOU that I notice .  Things we can implement that are SO MUCH EASIER than swing changes to help play better more enjoyable golf. 

A few of the things I would ask you keep an eye on are:

1) How he steps and picks the ball out the hole on all of the tricky 3-5 footers to finish.

2) The feedback each time he’s asked how he’s getting on during the round.

3) How he feels about the weather conditions (not ideal)

4) Putting Routine

5) What he does as soon as the holes are into a strong wind ( last few holes)

6) The last green comments on his score and how he feels his day has gone.

7) How he reacts to each poor shot (shock horror there are a few! )

I took so many positives from this.  Sam gave himself a 3/10 on how he felt his performance was,  his score did not reflect this.  Imagine your mindset on a day where you rated yourself a 3/10 and how you scored and felt on the course. 

Sam played in miserable cold wet conditions,  hadn’t packed the waterproofs, no caddie, no rain hood and on a golf course he’d never played before that was nothing like what he is used to playing in tour events.

He had no excuses, no complaints, remained positive, consistent and finally a smile all the way around. 

I think this a really valuable video to watch not even the best golfers in the world play many EXCELLENT shots in a round of golf but they PLAY the game excellently. 

Take a look at the video below.

Thank you for your time.

Jude 

www.teachgolf.co.uk