Many people in the game of golf have a feeling that they should just play better than they do. They believe there is one thing they need to figure out whether that’s a swing move, something with equipment, or maybe a belief that it’s just all mental. However, this is merely an illusion and avoiding the truth is detrimental to progress as the truth is the actual starting point.
At the Golf Performance Center, we believe that periodic assessments through our Player Development System provide the athlete and coach valuable information to create a truly robust practice plan. Knowing where one is in terms of function and athleticism as well as with golf skills put under pressure is the only way to truly assess the reality of how strong those skills are. Many people practice until they find a groove and use that as the basis for expectations instead of an objective assessment. In fact, many people do not want to be assessed because they are more comfortable living the illusion.
If this article does not resonate with you, or maybe even offends you, then you are in dire need of an assessment to find out where you actually are with your game. Identifying those areas of weakness and understanding what is fundamentally making those areas weak will start you on the road to improvement. Adopting a growth mindset is essential to even get yourself to show up for an assessment and see the harsh reality of what you are and what you aren’t capable of doing.
If you have never been assessed or it’s been a long time, I encourage you to seek out that essential first step. You will be amazed at what you will learn!