NO Progress Without Pain:
It’s a common understanding that when we invest time, money, or emotions in small portions with the overall goal of improvement over time, results get better in small doses and then the explosion happens! We begin gaining greater results with similar or the same effort applied in the first place. This is called compounding over time. The knowledge and experiences we gain in the present and future build depth, and the more we apply information, effort, or interest, our ability grows faster, stronger, and better. It’s like giving a player the power to perform at a higher level before they do, but because the player has not learned how to apply the knowledge to their game, it may go unnoticed. An example of this would be going through a growth spurt. It happens constantly, but most people never notice until the growth spurt slows down or stops. Then it’s like, “Wow, my clothes don’t fit,” or you hear comments about how much you have grown or changed!
So, what does this mean for your golf game? It means being patient, striving to improve in small increments, following a consistent path, and being curious to learn and not fixed. Golf is a simple game that, unfortunately, due to so much conflicting information, has become complicated for golfers of all skill levels. Think about it like this: if you enrolled in school for the 3rd grade, when you completed that year, you’re not expected to go straight to the 12th grade, or at least not in my school anyway! Instead, it is a slow, steady process that takes years of knowledge to accumulate, therefore compounding knowledge and improving one’s ability to perform well in testing environments or make better decisions later in life. Learning golf should be a similar progression of incremental learning, compounding knowledge, and experiences to improve one’s ability to perform. Unfortunately, for many golfers, learning the game can be frustrating because often much of the time is spent on fixing the swing or being taught how to be like a great golfer versus learning how to use the equipment and understanding your ultimate goal for learning the game in the first place. Being great at golf does require hard work, some painful lessons, but most of all it takes discipline to stay with the process of improving, not being fixed (you’re not broken, you’re learning!)
Whatever your reason for wanting to be better at golf, whether you are a recreational player or a highly competitive player, it is important to know that trying to improve your swing to play better golf does not work under the premise of fixing your swing or thinking, “I took a lesson, so I am fixed.” Playing better golf takes time; it takes lots of knowledge of the game and situations that you may or may not have ever had. Golf is a repetitive sport, but we never have the same shot twice! So, take the time to learn small pieces. Even though you think it may be taking forever, it will quickly take shape, and by combining your experiences, knowledge, and learned skills, your scores will improve sooner and better than you can imagine! Be patient!
Enjoy Your Journey!
