CHAMPIONSHIPS
INSTRUCTION
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Links Lessons
By George Connor, PGA
Get a Head Start on 2017!
A
s we near the end of another golf season it is
time to look back and most importantly to look
forward. I encourage my golfers to start each
season with some detailed goals. Since we are at the
end of the season, now is the time to evaluate which of
those goals you achieved, which ones you did not reach
and investigate why you did not achieve those. Did you have a plan in place? Was the plan detailed
enough? Did the goal motivate you? Did the plan keep you engaged?
The beauty of the season being (almost) over is that the new season begins. In a few months the snow
will fly and golf courses will close. On that precise day the new season begins. You might be thinking;
this guy is nuts! How can the golf season start the day the courses close for the year?
I implore you not to wait for spring to get prepared for the 2017 golf season. Take advantage of the
winter months to get ahead. Start with goal setting. What do you want to achieve in the next year?
Make sure you write them down. Next list the skills you will need to develop in order to achieve those
goals and finally, write down the tasks you will need to perform in order to develop the skills and
ultimately achieve your goals.
There are plenty of things we can be doing while the courses are snow covered that will make us better
golfers:
• Refine your putting stroke. All you need is a smooth carpet, maybe a few training aids and a few
drills to make the time enjoyable.
• Work on solid contact with chips and pitches. A simple activity like chipping ping pong balls in the
living room will develop (or maintain) your ability to consistently make solid, crisp contact.
• Improve your body’s ability to execute the golf swing. Full disclosure, many of the golfers I see
during the golf season are physically not able to make the swing they need to in order to hit the
types of shots they want to hit. The winter is a great time to change that. Adding strength to the
right body parts and mobility where it is needed will go a long way towards allowing you to make
better golf swings.
• Train your brain! Any golfer will admit that they let their thoughts sabotage their ability to play up
to their potential. If you are a golfer that looks like a Scratch golfer on the range, regularly shoot
76-78 in casual rounds and struggle to break 80 in competition, you may be missing an integral part
of the process. If you have little awareness of your mental approach on the course you are without
10 | CSGA Links // October, 2016
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