Persistence and Determination

I recently came upon this popular quote by the 30th president of the United States, Calvin Coolidge:

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

President Coolidge had a pretty incredible life… clearly getting to the office of presidency through persistence and determination. You can read a brief bio and learn some facts about him by clicking here: Calvin Coolidge

His words ring true regarding golf… don’t they? I mean, as an instructor, I definitely see Golfers in each of these categories. Let me explain… and perhaps this may apply to the way you’re going about with your game improvement plan…

TALENTED GOLFER:

This is the Golfer who is born with loads of talent. The person who practices very little… if at all!.. yet always seems to perform well on the golf course. Many of us wish we could be like this Golfer, who oftentimes doesn’t even have a great swing, yet kicks our butts!

YET… without practice to support and grow this talent… this Golfer will undoubtedly plateau. They may experience moments of greatness, but oftentimes once they achieve a certain level, they’ll remain there indefinitely. The talented Golfer MUST practice just as hard as the not-so-talented-Golfer if he or she really wants to reach their full potential. Talent will only take you so far.

GENIUS:

This type of Golfer knows about golf, their swing, the launch angle of their 7-iron, and the ball spin rate. They can evaluate and analyze their golf games (and everyone else’s!) and know the causes of both successful and unsuccessful shots. They can dissect the swing into minute components and talk about centripetal versus centrifugal forces, linear thrusts, power package accumulators, and not only can recite the Pythagorean Theorem, but can demonstrate how it applies to golf!

This Golfer is a true genius in the sense… but the Golfer that falls into this category lacks one major ability… the ability to shoot low scores. “Paralysis by Analysis.” For this Golfer to progress in their golfing abilities… he must forego the title of “Golf Scientist” and seek the title of “Golfer.” This “range pro” must get out and play to really test their genius abilities. And yes… as does the “Talented Golfer,” this Golf Scientist needs to practice as well. Book knowledge and genius is one thing, but this Golfer should practice and develop shot-making skills and simulate golf course situations in order to achieve their full potential. I truly believe score is still the best indicator of how well someone plays… don’t you?

EDUCATED GOLFER

People sometimes ask me, “Who would you say is your biggest competitor?” Expecting me to list a “who’s who” of golf instructors near the facility I teach at, I catch them off guard when I say, ‘The Internet.”

I mean, now-a-days, there is absolutely no shortage of information on the World Wide Web! Twitter, Facebook, blogs, LinkedIn, websites… UGH! And this doesn’t even take into consideration DVDs, Books, Magazines, Computer Software, Phone Apps, etc… OR the bazillion training aids that can be found. UGH (redux!)!

The educated Golfer is the person who has tons of websites bookmarked, arranged in alphabetical order, and has subscriptions to every newsletter and RSS Feed.

She’s a seeker of knowledge. Looks for the next quick fix. The “secret.” Trying to find ways to shortcut the process. But to no avail. Because the “tip” that works this week… doesn’t work the next. Whether it’s valid or not. Mainly because that’s how she treats the information she’s found. As a tip… not a long-term solution. Not taking into consideration that the TOUR Professional who wrote that tip, probably practiced it for years for her to get it right.

Don’t be this type of Golfer who jumps around from website to website, article to article, training aid to training aid, teacher to teacher, and never truly discover their game. Find a good book on golf, a website, an instructor, a method, etc…, and be persistent AND determined to “get it” before moving on to the next.

Persistence and determination… sigh… it’s hard work. Probably the reason why a Golfer will take a lesson from me who’s been playing 35 years, and I can’t help but think, How can he possibly have such a bad grip if he’s been playing for 35 years? Why hasn’t he learned it yet? The answer… lack of persistence and determination to get it right.

So hang in there… your persistence and determination will pay off!

Peace… Love… Golf!

Posted in: encouragement, golf psychology, inspiration, Practice, Ted Eleftheriou