You're no Tiger Woods - so set realistic goals for your golf game

As a teacher of golf I have a pretty good understanding of what it takes to become a good player…by good, I mean with a five to six handicap or better. But only a very few golfers seem to get it, that is, to honestly understand the amount of effort it takes to achieve that level. Once they find out, fewer still will do it.

Now I am not trying to discourage anyone from seeking improvement or from setting an ambitious goal, but know that it takes a lot of time, practice, and a better than reasonable amount of athletic skill to get to that low handicap range…only about 2 percent of all golfers do. It helps to have a coach, a good teacher who can assist a player in finding the answers to the six criteria that influence one’s scoring performance. Those are:

1. Swing Mechanics
2. Correct Practice
3. Physical Conditioning
4. Psychological Strength
5. Knowledge of Special Shots, and
6. Equipment.

That is a tall order. Handling all six requires considerable motivation, effort, and a lot of patience.

Here is where I have a problem. Most people’s expectation level far exceeds their preparation and talent. Now it is not bad to be optimistic, on the contrary, but it is also of value to be realistic. Golfers who arrive at the course with huge expectation levels (mostly Type A’s or young bucks) get quickly disappointed with bad shots and angry over the results. When in fact, THEY HAVEN’T EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE ANGRY! They haven’t done enough practice to play golf like they see on television, though they think they should. Their anger can easily ruin the day not only for themselves but for their playing companions. It’s a game! So cool it…"You ain’t no Tiger Woods"…who, by the way, spends countless hours training, practicing, working on mind and body, trying equipment, and employing a teacher. After all that, he still can’t do it all the time as well as he wishes.

So why do you think you should? The answer: because of the male ego. Hey, I have it too, but work to keep it in check.

That leads me to my favorite quote: “If you play golf, you are going to experience a certain amount of disappointment and frustration …but misery is a choice.”

Enjoy your golf.