It is common in golf, or sports in general, to hear someone say things like, “where did that kid come from?”, “he/she came out of nowhere to win”, “I don’t know what happened but suddenly my game improved by 5 strokes.” Let’s look at this “sudden” breakthrough syndrome. In my opinion, no one in the history of anything just “suddenly” got better. It takes many hours, days and years to see gains that show up as a sudden breakthrough. Having spent the better part of the past 30 years working with golf athletes, it can be frustrating to hear a player negatively self-talking about how they are not getting better or that they suck. Secondly, it takes patience! The effort put in today may not show up for weeks, and the accumulation of efforts for the month may not show up for a year. So be patient and keep a growth mindset, build methodically at your best pace. Thirdly, you must measure yourself and know what you are improving on and by how much by consistently measuring your progress. By doing so it allows you to see the marginal gains and to set better goals to keep positive momentum to your larger goals. Like a weight loss plan, if you set the goal of losing 45 pounds it is not likely, nor would it be healthy, to lose 45 pounds in a week or two. You would likely set a goal of losing a pound a week and in 45 weeks, you will have “suddenly” lost 45 pounds. I am saying “suddenly” because when losing a pound a week no one will notice but you, if you are measuring it. But, when someone sees you that may have only seen you a couple times in the 45 weeks, they will think you lost the weight in a sudden dramatic way, or a “Wow, you look great, what happened?” kind of way.
When you listen to the best athletes in the world, you begin to hear a common statement : “The harder I worked, the more people thought my athleticism or skills were a natural gift.” That apparent “sudden” ability to hit a golf ball, score goals, or make baskets only seems like it was a special gift. The “natural” athlete that showed up overnight, like we are seeing in Camaron Young on the PGA Tour now, didn’t just wake up and suddenly play extraordinary golf. He has worked his butt off for years, and is breaking through because of the work he has done over the past 15 years as a young athlete playing golf under many different situations. The accumulation of his efforts in the gym and on the course is finally paying off for him. “Sudden” breakthrough, I don’t think so!
Understanding this is easy, putting in the work is hard. By believing that the 45 minute workout today doesn’t make me better tomorrow, it makes me better months from now if I continue to do it, your breakthrough may be right around the corner. Stick with your process, (that is, if it is a measurable one). If you don’t have a plan for your overnight “success,” reach out to us at The Golf Performance Center. Let us help you get started with a PDI (Player Development Index) Assessment, a new way to measure your skills and progress towards your goal of being the best golfer you can be!
Enjoy Your Journey!
