Setting Goals for the Year

Setting goals for your game is a great way to motivate yourself, and help clarify the kind of work you need to put in to achieve them.

One of the reasons I always gravitated towards golf was because it had the most measurable results of any . Everyone knows exactly where they stand based on their score. Competitive junkies always find their way to golf at some point. Using this competitive drive is a great way to set goals for yourself so you can work on getting to that next level.

My main goal for 2014 was to get my handicap low enough so I could apply to play in the qualifiers. I needed to get below a 1.4, so it made me look at what parts of my game I needed to improve in order to get there. For me it was improving my wedge game, and making more putts from under 10 feet.

It wasn’t a long list, but I knew that my was the key to getting closer to scratch golf. So I spent most of my time working with my wedges, which used to be a weakness of my game. By the end of the year, it had become one of my strengths, and I felt confident around the green instead of dreading those shots. I also was starting to hit more 8 footers for par (and sometimes ), and I got down to scratch by the end of the year! I felt very satisfied that I was actually able to achieve my goals, and that I would be able to apply to play in the US Open and USGA Amateur qualifiers.

This year I really want to focus on even more, so I’m going to make an effort to make this an area of big improvement. I also want to play in 5 competitive tournaments, and not shoot over 80 in any of them. Again, it’s not a long list but it’s something to keep me focused, and working towards a goal.

So think about a few parts of your game that could use improvement on the golf course. Do you want to hit more fairways? Start working on a bump and run shot? Lower your handicap by 3-5 strokes? It doesn’t have to be a complicated list, but pick 3-4 specific goals and really try to work on achieving them. I have found that if I am aimlessly working on random parts of my game without a plan then I’m not really improving as a player. I think you’ll be happy with the results if you stick with it.

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