Take Notes and Study

Start Examining Your Rounds to Shave off a Few Strokes

Golfers love to lament what could have been. Post round conversations often involve “leaving shots out there” meaning, they wasted a shot or two on a hole(s). You hear phrases like, “I could have broken 80 if I hadn’t three-putted at 7 and 12.” “I could have been three of four shots lower if I hadn’t the ball OB.” Golfers are aware of missed opportunities for lower scores, and it often nags at them.

Being aware of missed scoring opportunities is important. It provides a great learning opportunity. But most golfers only lament the missed opportunities. The majority never give serious examination to them, and this is a huge, missed opportunity.

Here is what golfers should do during the round and post round.

1. Take notes during the round - You don’t need a lot of details necessarily just something which reminds you of what happened. This should be about both good and bad shots/thoughts/decisions. For example: Missed green to the right, misjudged wind out of the left.

2. Take notice of both the good and the bad - Taking notice of the good is just as important as the bad. This creates positive reinforcement. Reflect on the thought process, decision making, how the swing felt and how you felt. Were you free and flowing with your swing? Did you feel comfortable over the ball? Anything you can think of which contributed to a good result is important as it breeds confidence for future rounds. The bad allows you to examine what areas of your game may need improvement. Was it a poor decision? Were your misses consistent such as fat, thin, left, right, short or long? Were your wedges good or bad? Putting? Chipping? Driving? Is there a discernable pattern with both good and bad shots?

3. Use the information to your advantage - We all have limited time to practice. If you’re like me, you would rather play when time permits than work on your game. But there is always some time we can dedicate to practice. Knowing what is working and isn’t working in your game allows you to focus your practice time on weaknesses. For instance, if you are consistently missing mid-irons to the right, you can focus your practice on improving your mid-irons. Whether it is putting, wedges, irons or driver, this applies to whatever you find is the biggest contributor to missed scoring opportunities. Focus on the area which is the biggest issue.

4. Don’t beat yourself up - Bad swings happen. Bad decisions happen. Tour players do both even when they are at the top of their game. Golf involves thought and planning. It requires complex, dynamic movement. Instead, thoughtfully look at them and learn from them. It’s okay to be upset when they occur but don’t let them fester. Let them go before the next shot and go back later to look at what happened. If there isn’t a pattern to them, accept them as just part of the game and move on. If there is a pattern, you know you have something to work on in order to get better.

Taking examination of a round of golf provides information which breeds confidence and reveals areas for improvement. Sadly, most golfers don’t take advantage of the learning opportunity. Start thoughtfully reviewing your rounds to learn and watch your scores decline.

As always, be thankful when you play. Be grateful for opportunity and privilege to play this amazing game. Now, go golf!