Well, well, well....another day, another year already started.
What resolutions have I decided to work on this year? There are definitely a few but nothing I'm going to spell out here except for my golf related choices.
Let's list at least a few items to work on this year regarding my game;
1. Practice consistently, mid to short irons, dial-in my distance with each club.
2. Practice putting skills (which I normally haven't done much of).
3. Work on getting the ball on the clubface properly ALL the time when hitting. NO MISS-HITS.
4. Increase my flexibility through exercise, which will create more distance.
5. June/July, new set of clubs.
6. By end of summer reduce my index to a solid 3 handicap or less.
When you go to the driving range to hit balls remember 2 important things;
- range balls are almost always limited flight balls (they don't go as far as normal)
- golf mats may not be the best alternative BUT they make you concentrate on swinging smoothly and picking the ball cleanly with the clubface, not digging into the turf.
I've noticed that the major loss in my game from lack of consistent play over the last 12-18 months has been distance. My ball flight has not moved much, I still either hit it straight or pull it just a little left, but my distance has decreased by as much as a full club length. That's been very frustrating and completely my fault due to less time at the range and on the course.
My putting has always been very good from distance control to reading of the greens. I need to improve my accuracy and can accomplish that through time spent on a practice green, something that I've never really done before.
To play consistently takes a real concerted effort since I have very few friends that golf. This means that I have to get motivated to play as a walk-on single almost all the time, which means I have to usually get up early and to my chosen course early in order to get on the singles list. This is also a big part of my not golfing much the last 12-18 months. As much as I love to golf it's always more fun to be able to golf with friends.
Golf is a singular sport from a participation standpoint, but a social sport from a public perspective. That's why most people enjoy the game so much. You get out of it what you put in to it. I've always excelled at singular sports from track and field, to tennis, to racquetball, and obviously the great game of golf.
List out what you want to accomplish with your golf game this year and start working towards your golf goals. If you're in an area where there's snow for the next few months, work on your putting in your hallway, get a practice club you can swing, clean and re-grip your clubs, empty your golf bag completely and clean that out. Keep golf in your mind one way or another and when the weather gets better you'll be more excited and prepared to play.
Play well.