The most widely recognized thing that I hear golfers say is that they want to become more consistent. You’re likely nodding your head right now in agreement. The thing I find entertaining is that individuals who say they are never serious about it. I say this because when the most recent and most noteworthy best golf club or best golf ball turns out claiming to get another 10 or 15 yards, they buy it.
As soon as they get on a launch monitor, they try to rip it as hard as they can. And when they go play or practice they swing out of their shoes. If you genuinely want to become a consistent golfer you have to get serious. Below are a few things that will help you gain the consistency you are after:
1. Slow Down Your Golf Swing
You’ve seen the pros on TV hit a golf ball. When they hit shots, they make it look easy. So how can it be that when you go to play, you try to hit every shot as hard as possible? The next time you go to play, try to swing at half speed. You may have to take an extra club on certain shots but swinging slower will make you hit the ball straighter because the harder you hit the more you amplify the side spin on the ball. If you are off even a little with a fast swing, your ball will be gone. If you put a little less into it and you don’t hit the ball quite perfect, you will still be able to find your ball thus saving your shots. Plus, confidence breeds distance. If you keep hitting fairways and greens, you will gain confidence. As you gain confidence, you will increase distance. So, slow down, and you will become more consistent.
2. Practice Regularly
How do you expect to get better at golf if you never practice? I know you’re occupied. Everybody’s occupied except the individuals who are serious about becoming better golfers; you have to set aside a few minutes to practice. One of the things I promote is to do practice swings at home in the basement or backyard while working on the proper positions. I know what you will say. You will say that you have a great practice swing, but when you go to hit a ball, it’s different. Well most importantly, you don’t have a great practice swing with your best golf iron. It’s probably okay, but it’s not great. If it were great, you would know to use this very same swing to hit the ball. The reason your practice swing changes when you hit a ball is because you are thinking about hitting the ball.
The more you try to hit the worse you will become (see #1 above). What you should be doing is learning the proper positions and repeating them over and over again (in practice swings) until you know no other way to swing. These positions must be exact and should be repeated the very same way each time you swing. So, learn the proper swing positions. Set up a practice station in or at your home and get serious about how you are supposed to be moving your body. Forget hitting golf balls for a while. Once you master the movement, the ball will get in the way.
3. Practice Only One Method
There are numerous teachers out there who all see the golf swing differently. These teachers have all studied the game for quite a while and most likely know significantly more about it than you. So try to find a teacher that you like and religiously follow this person’s instruction. This will help you with mastering the positions and build up a consistent golf swing since you will quit attempting all those different tips and tricks that have done nothing to help you become a consistent golfer.
4. Get Your Clubs Fitted
Equipment is critical to playing consistent golf. If you are using equipment that is not fitted to your body, you will have to make compensations to your swing to hit perfect shots. Some days you will make these compensations superbly and different days you won’t. For a couple of dollars, have your best golf clubs checked. If you do, you can rule out using the wrong equipment as the cause of your inconsistency.
5. Use the Same Brand of Golf Balls Each Time You Play
Okay, quit looking for balls when you play. I know you just saved yourself 3-4 dollars but using a ball that has been in a pond for a year is not going to do your game any good. Likewise, not all golf balls are made the same. If one day you play with callaway golf ball, nike golf ball and the following day you play with sixron golf ball how are you going to become consistent? There is a lot of feel in golf, especially around the greens. If you are always using a different ball how can you possibly develop a consistent feel?
6. Develop a Routine
This last point is vital to playing great golf. You must have a routine. From the minute you leave work or home you should almost be able to put your game on autopilot because you have done the same routine each time. Your routine should incorporate your arrival to the course, your practice; you’re approaching the first tee, your set up routine and visualization, attitude on the course, etc. There is a wide range of areas in the game of golf. Try to build up a consistent routine in every one of these areas then you will be able to get yourself into a comfort zone when you go to play.
It’s at long last time for you to quit fooling around about this game. This implies you need to overlook distance. This will come with consistency. Ideally, you can fuse a portion of these ideas into your golf game. If you do, you finally gain the consistency that you are after.
