Well our winter season is creeping up on us in Southwest Florida. Soon most of the country will be waist high at times in the white stuff and most often we will be in short sleeved golf shirts chasing the dimpled monster around our favorite course in Paradise! We often forget just how lucky we are. If you’re not in SW and reading this, remember two critical items: 1- Jet Blue 2- TP Golf – www.tompatri.com.
As this winter golf season approaches I would like each of you to take five minutes and sit somewhere quietly and first think about your golf season last winter in Paradise. Think about what you liked about your game and what you didn’t like about your game. Then I’d like you to grab a pad and pen and list the top 5 things you would like to improve with your golf game. Try to think a bit outside the box. Was your warm up routine before each round long enough? Did you hit a few chips, pitches, bunker shots, lag putts before going to the first tee? Another thing that comes to mind, how well did you manage your skill level on the course? Did you take two much risk when playing certain shots? Did bad decisions lead to a few big numbers each round driving your score up? How often to you get to the range or short game area and practice? Of course last but not least, do you have a credible teacher or coach you worked with on at least a semi-regular basis on your swing mechanics? Did you take a playing lesson with your teacher / coach and review an on-course game plan?
If the answer to any, most, or all of those questions falls into the no category perhaps before this season gets under way you should devise a game play that will address any weak links in your game. All of the things I mentioned above are things I would address on a very deep level with any of my competitive players before their tournament season begins. Clearly if you are a recreational player we don’t expect you to make golf war and peace. That said, I haven’t met many of you who wouldn’t like to shave a few strokes off your handicap or shoot your career low round this coming season! Keep in mind most truly consistent and successful seasons in any motor-skill-based sport don’t occur by random accident.
Do yourself a favor. Go through the exercise I have described above. Take a few moments with pad and pen in hand and think things through. If you don’t have a teacher / coach and you truly would like to take your game to the next level this might be the winter season to enlist an expert to help you. www.tompatri.com check it out! 30+ years of teaching and coaching experience!
Make this winter the season that golf in fact changes for you. Remember if you always do what you have always done, you’ll always get what you always got!!
Sincerely in golf, Tom Patri
