The Endless Cycle of the “Quick Fix”
In the modern era of information, we can gather and get more information than any other time in history. All it takes is something as simple as a thought with a question and then right away we can find endless information and videos about whatever topic is on our minds. The easy access to information and learning tools may be a great thing for most topics but is not always the case for the game of golf.
How many times have you looked up tricks, tips, drills, or whatever your heart desires to fix that always emerging slice with your driver? How many times have you looked up golf informational training videos or information, and the title has the word “quick” or a small-time frame involved in it such as “as quick as 10 minutes”? The truth is normally these “Quick Fix’s” are more of a set back to your golf game rather than an improvement. You will find yourself chasing quick fix after quick fix until eventually you lose total interest in the game of golf. Golf is a game of detail and precision that requires dedicated efforts to achieve our full potential and the quick fix will not solve your issues for good. It may solve your surface laying issues for about one to two rounds of golf until you slowly notice that same annoying issue has come back and even worse, this time it brought some friends. And now you go back after that embarrassing round of 18 with the golf buddies after you bragged how you “figured out” your golf game and look up the next “quick fix” video but this time it is more than just one video, but three videos. Thanks to all the new issues that the original quick fix has now created.
The point is that we can’t quickly and easily solve issues that arise in a game that requires such precision and dedication to overachieve. In the game of golf, the perfect golf swing consists of over 200 factors in just a split second to result in a satisfactory golf stroke. Therefore it is incredibly complex to hit that perfect shot on a consistent basis. Training with a plan, proper notes for feedback, and attention to detail and intention to result a certain outcome in training is by far the most impactful. Take a second and think about the last time you went to the range to fix an issue in your golf swing that came up frequently in your last round. I want you to imagine that range session, and now tell me what was the percentage of good shots compared to bad ones. If you don’t know that, then at least think about the average distance of what the club you hit most was. Is that distance accurate in your head? Is it accurate to the decimal? Did you know that golf is a game of inches and they don’t only mean in the golf swing, they also mean in your consistency in your results as well. If you could just know that exact average distance or if you are more likely to hit a good or bad shot with a specific club do you think that your score would go down? One hundred percent it would, because you would make more intentional and thought-out decisions on the course and your score would drop 5 to 7 strokes easily. And thats not even actually fixing any mechanics issues yet.
It is this simple, next time you go to the range, practice green, chipping area to practice, bring a pencil and notebook. Simply write down or keep track of important information such as how many shots went left of your target, how many went right, how many were long, how many were short. Organize this new information by club and bam, you are already more in-tune with your golf game than you ever have been and will take some strokes of your score and haven’t even paid for that golf lesson yet.
Finally, when it comes to training on mechanics, you already have a golf notebook for notes and feedback and got the major step in order. After doing so, write down some drills, the goals of a training plan, what you are working on. For example, this could be where you want to hit 5 fades and then 5 draws in that order. Record all the information and stats you learned from that session. Do NOT just go out and hit golf ball after golf ball and leave that range with the only feeling of “I hit some good shots, now what”. You should always be able to leave a training session and look back and find areas and specific details you can improve on. The point is quality over quantity. Set a time limit, or a ball count number per club for whatever you feel is best. Record, record, record. Taking notes will literally take strokes off your game, it is pretty simple, as long as you have intentional thinking and proper feedback, your golf game and future will flourish for years.
