Expectations

August is the season for the should have, would have, could have golf stories at the 19th hole. Many golfers exert a lot of time and energy on their practice and play yet fail to meet their expectations for scoring on the golf course. Hard work should be rewarded, yet with golf the opposite seems to happen. In my opinion this happens because our expectations are too high. We place too much value on the long game and not enough on recovery. If you slice the ball into the trees, quit dwelling on why you hit it there and instead focus on how you can get the ball onto the green and make your par.

Not long ago I took a look at the statistics of the PGA Tour and was quite surprised at the results. I had the expectation that the players at the top of the world rankings would lead each of the categories for scoring. The results were quite the opposite. Only one high ranking player was visible in any stats category. How can you explain this? I think it has to do with consistency and an overall balance within a player’s game. Tiger may not be the best in every category of shot making, but he is the best in bringing it all together to maintain his standing as the best player in the world.

Now, I would like to share with you some very practical advice that will help you score better on the course. With your tee shots you need to stay out of trouble... I know, that's obvious! But ridding yourself of the slice or pull will help you find the fairway more often. Next step is to get the ball on the green when you are within 100 yards every time. In fact, this short shot may even help you with fixing that slice! Your last task is to average fewer than two putts per green. If you stick to these three areas of the game and practice them equally, you will find yourself meeting your expectations on the golf course.

--- Dee Forsberg

Comments

[Cherie Riesenberg]

Dee's comments are right on the mark. Good golf is the result of good play, not good shots. Well stated, Dee, and thanks for the reminder.