Goal Setting to Boost Golf Performance
Are you constantly trying to improve your golf game, but you become impatient or frustrated with results?
Most athletes set strict standards for success and you hear it all the time in the sports world, “Never be satisfied with what you have already accomplished,” “What you did yesterday doesn’t matter, it’s what you accomplish today that counts,” or, “Comfort is the enemy of champions.”
While golfers should strive for their full potential and continually work to improve their game, the “never be satisfied” approach has some dangerous pitfalls.
The “never be satisfied” mentality can ratchet up the pressure to perform for some golfers.
Think about it for a second…
With the “never be satisfied” mindset, a whole lot of ‘should’ and ‘I need to’ statements invade the scene…
–-“I should have played this hole better.”
–“I should have scored better this round.”
–“I should have beaten…”
–“I need to win this tournament.”
–“I need to score better than my last round.”
–“I need to score more birdies.”
All these statements add to an already challenging game and heap even greater pressure upon yourself.
Even worse, those ‘should’ and ‘I need to’ thoughts can lead to the perfectionism trap where you feel you must hit every shot perfectly.
When this happens, the over thinking can be paralyzing. The impatience can be frustrating.
Balance is the key when it comes to improvement.
Of course, the goal for continued improvement is necessary for every golfer looking to achieve their max potential.
This type of goal provides the type of pressure that motivates a golfer to strive for a better golf game.
When it comes to improvement, the best method is to focus on the process, not the results.
Improvement should not be dependent upon winning or shooting a lower score every time you hit the course.
Improvement is a matter of working on the little things in your game that put you in position to succeed.
Balance has been the key to Xander Schauffele’s success on the PGA Tour during the 2018-2019 season.
Schauffele made his PGA Tour debut during the 2016-2017 season and has steadily ascended the rankings climbing to No. 6 with his victory at the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Schauffele knows you cannot win every tournament so he’s focused on improving his game so he can contend and be competitive.
SCHAUFFELE: “It is my third year on TOUR. I obviously would like to contend every week, of course, I think you are a premier player when you contend every week and because some weeks you won’t have everything you got… So if you can contend every week you know you’re right up there.”
Schauffele understands small improvements, rather than focusing on winning, will eventually lead to greater success and is aware of areas of his game that need improvement.
SCHAUFFELE: “Forearm strength apparently [is an area needing improvement]… My chipping has gotten better, obviously I chipped in earlier and I feel like my short game was better, but it’s just — you try and peak at the right time. I heard guys talk about that and once you get to certain level everyone can do similar things, obviously there’s some new guys out here that can hit it about 40 yards further than me, so maybe touch up on that, but try not to change too much.”
Schauffele recognizes what he needs to improve, but he also equates previous improvements as successes which helps him strike a balance to raise his game to the next level.
Having Proper Balance to Raise Your Golf Game:
First, set small, manageable goals.
Small goals are a great way to improve your game without placing excessive demands upon yourself.
Next, view small improvements as success.
When playing a round, keep in mind it’s about scoring and not improving your game during the round!
Use the skills you have today to score.
Related Golf Psychology Articles
- How to Manage Pressure in Your Golf Game
- How to Develop Consistency in Your Golf Game
- Does Your Self-Talk Help or Hurt Your Golf Game?
- Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast on iTunes
- Subscribe to The Golf Psychology Podcast on Spotify
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