Thank you for this. Great reinforcement of a positive thought process and management of expectations. For the 99% of us that are watching this, golf is not a job.
I have to thank John in part for getting me from 2 to +1. Reading his book and deep diving into golf philosophy with Dr Bob Rotella really helped my mindset while playing. There are still facets that I can improve on but altogether, my game is in a much better place. Thanks John
Long winded rant: When you were discussing the aspect of “rage quitting” after a bad shot, I got to thinking about things I think/try to do on the course to save me mentally. I have a few different thoughts that control my actions/reactions when I play: 1. You CANNOT be upset with your golf game greater than the amount of time you’ve practiced. My father loves to remind me of a time when Hale Irwin was playing in some celebrity event and a member of his group got VERY upset when they missed a putt and Irwin turned to him and said, “you don’t play well enough to get THAT upset.” 2. You are not the sum of your bad shots. Your worth as a human won’t change with the number written on the scorecard. Accept before you tee off on hole 1, that (for the most part) your life won’t change no matter what you shoot and remember “This too shall pass”. Nor are you MORE valuable b/c you shoot a low score b/c “This too shall pass”. 3. Tiger hasn’t made every cut and he’s the GOAT. Don’t expect to shoot your best every time. Yesterday was yesterday. Today is a new day with a new swing - deal with it. 4. Don’t sign your scorecard until you’re walking off #18. Don’t worry about “what will I shoot if I birdie/par/bogey this hole.” Those thoughts create tension and tension is the best killer of a good round of golf. 5. Before you tee off commit to getting out of trouble as easily and quickly as possible. If you don’t have a clear shot to the green from the trees, get out and accept your fate. 6. Never “rage quit” on a round. You could always practice your pre-shot routine. You could be shooting well above your standard but there’s always a chance to strengthen your mind. 7. The shot you believe in most is the correct shot. Don’t expect greatness from attempting a shot you don’t practice. There’s more but I won’t go on. Great video fellas.
Skytrak has a great feature that lets you hit to greens at randomized distances that is great for practicing distance control. You can set the range of distances such as 60 to 110 yards. One swing to each pin and then the distance changes. It's amazing how close you can get to each distance with a little practice.
You want to get better, you need to practice correctly and a lot. During our spring, summer and fall weather, I'm playing/practicing 5 days a week minimum. My scores reflect that. Most amateur golfers don't practice/play that much but yet they believe their standard is higher than it is. If I miss a 3 footer, I'm learning to ask myself, "did I go through my routine and try my best?" If the answer is yes, I'm good. Getting better wasn't over night. When I started putting drills, it wasn't until 3 months later that my buddy commented, your putting has improved. It takes time. Some rounds my putting is atrocious but it's ok. I tried my best with the current skill set I have at that moment.
Thanks Tom and Jon! A great conversation/topic. Amazing how often the worlds of golf and life collide. Really appreciate this direction of approaching the game, and there’s likely just as much if not more, to be gained vs traditional swing instruction. Keep up the great content! Cheers
Great interview. I’ve read the book, will have to reread it again! I’m enjoying the process more and I’m incrementally noticing improvements on the course as a result!
Aimpoint removes the questions where you see one break from one side of the ball and a different one from the other side. The other big thing is that it gives you a very precise target to hit to. Instead of vaguely picturing a curve on the green, you are aiming two inches outside right or whatever. You almost never have much doubt about what you're doing. The other things is that over time you will be able to look at a green on a long putt and see that it's a one percent or maybe two percent break without even reading the putt with your feet. I use my feet on any makeable putt but I can estimate much more precisely on lag putts.
Even as someone who puts a lot of time and effort into golf, the same lesson applies. If you can only have a good time playing golf when you score well then you will have a lot of bad days on the course. That just doesn't make sense. It's supposed to be enjoyable. If every time on the course is a test of your competence as a golfer then golf will not be enjoyable. I am still disappointed when I score poorly, but I don't want to let that ruin a beautiful day on the course. One can play a lot of very good golf and still score poorly. The thing I am learning is to be happy about the good shots I play, enjoy the process of learning and improving, and let the score go. Not always easy, but I want to enjoy my time on the course. That is the entire point.
There are definitely quite a few golfers out there who would benefit from a couple of Peleton sessions a week! 😁 The only regular weekly S&C for many involves lifting a 500g liquid object with one arm on a regular basis post round 😜
Great talk gentlemen. Taking that wedge start to every session /warm up with my PRGR device idea. At 14 -16 index level I have a lot of 40 to 65 yard approaches in a round of golf. And I miss plenty of ‘em. I reckon 5 shots per round.
Interestingly enough using shot scope for a season made it crystal clear I should rarely hit my driver over 3 wood. Nothing to gain and lots of penalty strokes to lose. And I'm a single digit HC who can bomb it far. Learn to hit your 3 wood off the tee, every weekend I play with guys who hit multiple drives straight into penalty areas, just cause they would rather pray their driver goes 20 yards short, versus hitting a smooth 3 wood.
LOL scratch golf IS boring. Shooting doubles and triples is way more exciting. Get to play so many more punch shots, shots off roots, hardpan, bunkers, playin the ball above or below your feet. Fairway/green/two putt. Snooze!
I played of a 1 handicap for 7 years, if only that was the case. When your playing well yes, but on average you still hit bad drives, irons, chips and putts.
About 10 years ago I went from a 13 to a 6 in a matter of months. While I was playing a lot and going to range a couple nights a week, I focused more on my short game than at any other time in my golfing life. That’s what I would recommend.
Excellent discussion but, I'm sorry, aimpoint is the modern plumb bobbing. Pure witch-doctory. The only advantage you'll gain is in annoying any match-play opponent.
