Enter my Masters Giveaway!
Win 5 of my favorite golf books, a 2019 Master flag from Augusta National, and free access to the Golf Strategy Academy. Enter here:
5 Things Great Golfers Do That You Need To Copy
Have you ever heard the phrase “the best playing partner is one that’s slightly worse than you are?” I’d have to disagree because in my eyes, the best playing partner is one that’s better than you. Not only do they push you to play better, they can teach you valuable tactics.
When you play with someone who is at a higher skill level, you can learn a lot from watching them play and how they approach each shot. Below will be five things that all great golfers do that you can use to improve your game.
#1. Don’t Fix Your Swing on the Course
If you’re trying to fix your golf swing while you’re on the course, you’re setting yourself up for disaster. The reason you won’t be successful doing this is because tinkering with your swing will cause you to be very inconsistent and will make your misses unpredictable.
Instead of trying to fix your swing between each shot, you should have one main focus that you carry with you from the beginning until the end of the round. One simple swing thought or mental process that will keep you focused and consistent.
#2. Have a Pre-Shot/Post-Shot Routine
Every golfer shares the common goal of wanting more consistent golf shots but few actually have a process in place that they do each time. You need to have a set pre-shot routine that gets you into a rhythm and mentally prepares you to hit a confident shot. Additionally, you should have a post-shot routine. This can be done by dedicating 20 paces (10 seconds if you’re close to the green) to either celebrate or curse the previous shot. Once this time is up, it needs to be out of your mind completely.
Any great golfer will be able to tell you their pre-shot and even a post shot routine because they’ll know that having a transition into and out of every shot ensures that they’re putting the proper amount of effort in.
#3. Know Your Distances
Knowing the exact distances that you hit your irons is crucial to you hitting more greens in regulation and posting lower scores. You may think you know your distances well because you hit the driving range before your round but in reality, driving range balls are most likely limited flight golf balls. This means you won’t be getting accurate distance results to the golf balls you’re actually playing on the course.
Using a launch monitor or golf simulator is a far more accurate way to determine your distances. Your local golf course should have one or the other available for you to use. To test your distances on one of these devices, take ten golf balls and record the distance carried for each one.
Before you hit the first shot, test yourself by saying how far you expect this club to go, then hit and record the distance of each one. You should see that about half went shorter than your prediction and about half went longer. If one side has for more shots than the other, you’ll need to reevaluate your distances.
#4. Don’t Get Distracted by Your Score
The fourth important thing that great players do is put aside their scores and focus only on the shot at hand. If your goal for the round is to shoot an 88 and you finish the front nine with a 42, you may take your foot off the gas and get too comfortable on the back nine. This is when mistakes are made.
You never want a numeric goal to change the way you’re approaching your round, especially when you’re playing well. Instead of having the goal of shooting a specific score, have a set of micro goals that keep you present and in the moment.
An example of a set of goals that someone trying to break 90 could have is, hit 1/3 of the fairways, hit 1/3 of the greens from those fairways, and get up and down on the greens you missed 1/3 of the time. This tactic keeps you invested in every stroke.
#5. Have a Good Rhythm that Promotes Balance
When establishing a good rhythm, you need to have an understanding of how much tension you’re carrying in your swing with the tension scale drill. (Explained in depth in the Golf Strategy Academy)
There are several drills you can use to help you create a consistent rhythm or tempo with your golf swing. One perfect example is by saying “one hundred and one” out loud as you swing; “one hundred” on the way back followed by “and one” as you get to impact. Doing this will ensure that you have a proper tempo and it’s also easy to repeat.
As we discussed earlier, you should have only one thought to focus on during your round. If you make this thought to be more balanced, you’ll find that your tempo will improve along with it. You’d be surprised to see the positive effect that proper rhythm and balance has on your swing.
Next time you tee it up, keep these five tips in mind!
