I recently listened to a podcast discussing ways in which the average amateur golfer could shoot lower scores. They talked about the importance of practising regularly and collecting your stats after each game to track trends to identify weak areas - all good stuff which we know the importance of doing. There was however, one item that really struck a chord with me and I thought I would share it with you, as I'm sure it will also resonate with several of my readers too.
I'm sure many of you capture your stats playing each week and will have information on how many greens in regulation (GIR) you hit, but how many of you analyse that data to understand what's happening to your game? The scenario discussed showed that on a par 3 hole the player was on average scoring 4.5 shots - now for a 11 handicapper you would expect a better average than that. When they started to question what was happening it became apparent that this player was not able to hit the green with his 6 iron, which left him having to play a recovery shot each time. The more he looked into this, he realised that whenever he spent time practising he would work on his woods and chipping but never on his mid to long irons. Consequently when he came to play a 5 or 6 iron his ability to hit the ball where he wanted was lacking. It only dawned on him when he had a session with his mental coach.
On hearing this I had a ah-ah moment. I too practice my woods and wedges at the range but very rarely work on my long irons and there's one hole on my course that always gives me grief and after thinking about it, it's where I need to hit a 6 iron. Unfortunately, the accuracy is not always there, leaving me to play a recovery shot. So guys take a look at your stats and start to investigate deeper as to why you're loosing shots, it could give you the insight into where you need to focus to give the results you're looking for.
Top Tip Next time you go out to practice on the golf course, put yourself in position that forces you to play the weak iron or club shot you have identified. The more you practice the shot, the less daunting it will become and you will become confident in hitting that shot, especially when you need to play it in a competition.
If you would like to learn more about the mental side of the game please get in touch or check out our other blogs, there's something in here for everyone.