So what is holding you back in your game? Have you had a frustrating season, not getting the results you had hoped for? You might be surprised to find that dropping a few shots off your handicap could be easier than you think, by simply taking a look at your game from a different point of view. In this week's blog I'm going to share with you two potential areas Tip No 1 - Become aware of weakness in your game How often do you find yourself facing a shot you dread playing? Whilst playing in a competition this week at my club, one of the ladies I was playing with made the comment "I dread playing out of bunkers" as she watched her ball edge closer to the sand trap. This is a typical response I hear from players and yet what surprises me is they say it out loud but don't actually listen to what they are saying. The words are familiar to them and over time they accept that this is part of their game. Well it shouldn't be, becoming aware of what's holding you back in your game can become a real game changer. Recognising there is an issue and taking action can save you whole lot of grief and shots. Next time you're out playing and find yourself in trouble take a moment and ask yourself is this a common issue in my game? Make a mental note and after your game take a few minutes to see how to resolve this issue. It could simply mean having a lesson with the golf professional to learn how to play the shot that's holding you back or going on YouTube to find a video fix. Don't accept weaknesses in your game take action and watch your performance improve. Tip No 2 - That one wretched hole! How many of you have a certain hole on the course that catches you out time after time? You dread playing the hole knowing that it will mean a dropped shot or two? I for one had this problem with a hole on my course and I could feel my body tensing up as I played the shot. It's so frustrating and like the first scenario all too often we accept that this is part of our game. What tends to happen is we play the hole the same every-time expecting something different to happen. Sadly this is never the case, we reinforce the bad play by repeating the same scenario over and over again. To overcome this issue take a few minutes and write down what actually happens on your problem hole. Then look at how you could change the way you play the hole. For example you could reverse engineer your play by starting at the hole and work backwards. Considering what distance you prefer to hit into the green say 80 yards, consider what club you would need to hit to give you that distance. Alternatively try playing the hole using different irons or woods. Using a different club for my second shot worked for me, it stopped me pulling my shot into the water. To begin with I felt taking 3 shots into the green on a par 4 was crazy but actually I'm finding I'm putting for a par of bogey now rather than facing a 6 or 7 Give it a go this weekend and let me know how you get on. If your would like more information on these techniques please contact me to arrange a session
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