Commit to the Shot
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Commit to the Shot
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Commit to the Shot
We have all had the experience of deciding on our downswing that we are hitting the wrong club or that we are playing the wrong shot for the situation. The result is never good. We either bail out or decide mid-swing to swing harder, or to let up on the swing. Either way, you have likely given yourself a real chore to salvage par. Why did this happen? It is simply lack of commitment to the shot. You have not made up your mind regarding distance, your lie, or perhaps how much the wind will affect the flight. In short, you have not removed all doubt. This is true of putts, pitches, chips, or any shot you face. If you approach any shot haphazardly, you stand a chance of ruinous results. I have seen rounds; in fact, I have seen entire tournaments unravel because of one uncommitted swing followed by another struck in anger or disgust. When you are preparing to play, the first information you need is the yardage. Then you must evaluate your lie, your stance, the wind, and how you have been striking the ball that day. Erase any doubts; visualize your shot positively. If you are getting a negative image, shake it off, erase, and visualize again. Once you are into your pre-shot routine, commit fully to the shot and don’t back off physically or mentally. You will sometimes misjudge the distance, miss hit the shot, lose concentration, or do any number of different things that will keep you from your goal. By committing fully to every shot, you will begin minimizing your missed shots; you will soon come to realize how many missed shots were being caused by lack of commitment. The same is true on the putting green. Find the grain; look for the shine; study the lay of the land and anything else that may affect the speed of the putt. Your primary concern is proper distance. All of this is done to erase doubts, get a positive image, and make a positive stroke. If you can visualize the putt, you can make the putt. Learn to do all of this in a timely manner. If there is one thing that will kill the appeal of our wonderful sport, it is slow play. You can look at your situation, evaluate, select the club, plan the shot, and commit yourself in a very short period of time. Don’t let anything I say slow you down! You are in the process of becoming a decision maker. Your future as a better golfer depends on your learning to make a decision, commit to it, and swing. Don’t get into a habit of backing off. This is not black magic. When you play badly, it is not the fault of your caddie, your playing partners, or the greens superintendent. You played badly because you didn’t stay focused or handle adversity properly, or you showed up with some other excuse to play poorly. Don’t dwell on it, but figure out how and why it happened and decide not to allow it to happen again. You need to replace destructive traits with positive traits that get you to the next level. Believe me when I say that the next level will have more to do with your mental approach than it ever will have to do with your mechanics. |
