Learn something new every round

Blog 18/365

‘I never played a round when I didn’t learn something new about the game’-Ben Hogan It’s very easy in golf, and life to become set in your ways. They may be good ways, but there’s always room for improvements. To read a quote from a legend of the game like Mr Hogan, a man who was regarded as one of the best ball strikers of all time, say that he was learning something every time he played is both scary and inspiring. Maybe you figure out a solution to a swing error that has been bothering you for a long time. Maybe you figure out the best strategy to play a hole where you haven’t made par for years. What I take from a quote like this from one of the legends of the game is to never assume you know it all. A fixed mindset where you think that the way you do things is the only way or the best way can be very limiting, and your golf game can end up being very one dimensional. I see this all the time with parkland golfers versus links players, and vice versa. The parkland golfer becomes very used to flying the ball all the way to the hole, playing off nice fluffy lies where the ball sits up and can be swept away. Take them to a links with firm turf and bouncy greens and approaches and they can struggle. The opposite can be true for the links player used to flighting the ball low in the wind, when confronted with the carry dominant parkland course they will have issues with distance control on approach shots. I encourage all my students to play a variety of courses and setups to create a well rounded game that can encompass the different shots required when playing competitions and tournaments at different venues. That way they are prepared for whatever challenges they may face. Play your golf, and live your life with an open mind, and it is amazing what can happen. You may just find you learn something new the next time you play.