New year... new opportunities for improving your golf game. Exciting, isn't it? What I'm not going to do is use this post to talk about importance of goal setting... because you already know that. What I am going to do however, is encourage you to keep a golf journal. I do. Have since February 23rd, 1994. Wow... I can't believe it's been that long! Yet, as I search through my journals to write this post, I can recall the time, place and purpose of all my entries.
So what exactly goes
into a golf journal? Well pretty much anything... Anything that will help you improve... help you remember... help inspire you. Examples might be:
- After a lesson, jot down notes from the lesson to help you remember what it is that you have to work on, drills, goals, etc....
- After a practice session, jot down progress, struggles, impressions, what you practiced on, etc....
- After a round of golf, jot down scores, stats, feelings, weather conditions, course conditions, struggles, successes, etc....
- At any time, jot down things that inspire you, motivate you, relevant quotes, article clips, etc....
- If you're artistic (and I believe everyone is), sketch some ideas, or swing positions, or anything to help you with your journey towards getting better.
Today, purchase a journal (one small enough to fit in your golf bag) and start journaling. Use it as a tool that will assist you with making this year your best golfing year ever!
To encourage you, I'd like to share some personal (and unedited) entries from some of my golf journals. I start a new one every year. Enjoy!
February 23rd, 1994 (my very first one)
"REMEMBER ... Hands don't square clubhead.
It's the clubhead squaring that turns the wrists. After impact, the left arm
rotates (forearm) the clubhead. It's not the wrists doing the rotating.
Rotation comes from the left elbow...."
April 4th, 1996
"During a full drive, the head, shoulders, and
upper chest DO 'stay back behind the shot' and never actually sway past the
ball before the clubhead strikes it...."
September 7th, 1999
"Faults are caused by trying to force what
should be allowed. Grip... Posture... Alignment... Are caused to happen. Backswing...
Downswing... Impact... Are allowed to happen."
August 8th, 2002
"'Everyone has the will to win, very few
people have the will to PREPARE to win.' ~ Bobby Knight I need to determine the
weak areas of my game, work on them, and prepare myself to win!"
February 2nd, 2005
"My right heel should not be lifted off the
ground intentionally, but pulled off the ground as a result of good pivot and
forward weight shift... and then... No more than necessary. Lifting the heel
intentionally accomplishes nothing. Work on this. When I push or lift off my
right foot, my right knee goes outside my toe line toward the ball causing
power loss."
January 16th, 2007
"The ball should be struck prior to the low
point of the downswing, even when using the driver. The clubshaft is never
normally at right angles to the Plane Line through Impact - it leans forward.
Hitting "up" produces duffers and most topped shots." - Golfing
Machine
December 9th, 2010
"Work on moving right hip slightly toward
target on downswing... Resist the urge to uncoil too quickly from the top of
the backswing. This way... body stays coiled a bit longer. Once feeling of
weight shifting to center of stance, then uncoil aggressively.... "
September 15th, 2012
"Practice felt too mechanical... just couldn't
let myself go. Thoughts of allowing arms and club to drop down not forward
helped... along with "feeling" lower body reacting to upper body during
backswing. Also... Focusing on hugging chest with left arm on takeaway helped
me feel more connected and kept club on plane better...."
June 25th, 2014
"Problem: pulling putts!
Cure: Play my ball position more toward the middle
of my stance. This makes my shoulders more square to target line. Putts started
on line much better! Now just let putter do the work. Maintain constant grip
pressure...."
November 10th, 2016
"I really like feeling as if my right elbow drops down to right
hip... then "feel" as if forearm and clubshaft pivot around my right
elbow while rotating through with body. Doesn't actually happen this way, but
"feels" this way."
January 1st, 2018
"Persevere, Persevere, Persevere.”
"Persevere, Persevere, Persevere.”
Peace, Love, Golf! #PLG
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