Adapt or Die: The Mindset on the Golf Course

The Scenario:

You are 8 holes into an 18-hole round. You are struggling with your swing and just can’t seem to figure out why. Sound familiar? How do you change something mid round? It is because we aren’t educated enough with our own swing to understand what’s going on. When I talk to my students about On Course transition, I always ask them what are some things that they are doing to make the transition? A lot of them can’t answer that. Let’s chat about some things that can help the mindset on the golf course.

Drills:

One thing that always seems to boggle my mind is how drills never seem to be something my students use on the golf course. You see so many Touring Professionals use drills on the range and a lot of them translate this to the golf course. They are always looking for a feel. Something structured that they can use rather than get their mind into a “checklist” of some sort. The drills are meant to make a swing change. Doing this on the golf course would only benefit the student from a technical standpoint.

Pre-Shot Routine:

How many times have you watched a PGA or LPGA Tour event and saw the players have some sort of Pre-Shot Routine? My bet would be 99% of them. Why, you ask? Because this gives the players a goal for them to strive for with the shot in front of them. Some of them are technical. Some of them are visual. Some of them are a combination of both. Take someone like Alex Noren who probably has one of the most exaggerated, technical feels of all time. Or perhaps look at Jason Day for a great representation of the visual aspect of golf. Both are something that can be positive for a Pre-Shot Routine. I encourage you to find something that works for you.

Education of your Golf Swing:

When a student takes their initial assessment, we give them a student handbook that shares a lot of the common information that the average student does not know. Anywhere from Growth and Fixed Mindset to Ball Flight Laws. Education on your swing is the most important thing when it comes to our students. Why and how are we changing your swing? Are we working on sways to control the low point or club path? If the student cannot explain what they are working on to a friend or co-worker then how do you expect them to translate this to the golf course? Golf is such a mental sport that we want to minimize our thoughts as much as possible. Knowing why you are having bad contact or why the ball slices can only help you adapt to the mid round difficulties you might be having. Drills, Pre-Shot Routines, learning, etc. are things that we can do for students to not “lose” a round.