Hitting that par four in two last year has become just too difficult, that par five is now a good three shots and let’s not talk about that par three, when did that become a wood!?
The more you try and hit it straight the further right it goes, the more you try the less you succeed. Sounds familiar to me, not just from the clients who come through my door but my own experience too. The muscles just don’t stretch quite as far as they did and the ball doesn’t go as far as I would like.
Now, if you are looking to improve your scores, consistency or length there are only three areas which need to be working in harmony. These being the three big ‘T’s; Technique, Time and Talent. If you have great technique, lots of time to practice and bucket loads of talent you will inevitably be a very good player. The three ‘T’s are irresistible that way. If one of them is missing, then progress stumbles with frustration becoming the state of normality.
Think about it simply, lots of time and technique but no talent leads to thwarted development. Lots of time and talent but no technique, same result. Finally, lots of talent and technique but no time to hone the former will lead to inconsistency. The good news is, because the game is so methodical, hand eye coordination is at a minimum and is pedestrian, it suits more people than most other sports.
But if we were to focus on the technique element of the game and split that into three categories you may take some heart and be able to look at the coming golf season as something which could be turned to your advantage. Something which is actually under your control and able to be influenced in your favour.
So here are the big three game changers which sit under the category of ‘technique’ for improved distance and consistency. I’m going to go with the low hanging fruit here, first is equipment; sometimes the clubs which I see a player playing with are so old, with worn slippy grips and the club head built with a sweet spot the size of a pin prick, it is no wonder that the player is struggling to get the ball in the air, let alone the desired distance.
Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and invest in the equipment. The technology being built into the clubs these days is staggering, sweet spots are bigger and launch angles are higher, spin is up too; all helping the ball go straighter and further. You should seriously think about putting your clubs up against the latest out there, like a Pepsi Challenge, so to speak. If I can’t show you that the ball can go higher, further and straighter then you have lost nothing. At least you will know that the focus has to be on the other two areas.
The other two areas are improved technique and physical form. Obviously if you are doing something so poor technically it doesn’t matter if you have the latest equipment in your hands. Again, time to bite the bullet in the form of some formal coaching from a professional Coach. It will probably be something quite simple which needs a couple of hours work literally to straighten you out.
Finally, the physical form. This really focusses on the strength and flexibility of the player. Is your body fit for purpose? Simply put again, can your body do what you are asking it to do during the golf swing?
Our Academy is now working with a TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) Certified Fitness instructor, who is able to give you a full body assessment and then point you in the direction of movements and exercises which will keep your body in the correct shape for your game over the coming days, months and years.
So here is the deal, in one place we can sort out your clubs, where we have all of the best performing brands. We have all of the technology and expertise to coach your swing into a more efficient movement and finally we can assess your body’s range of movement to see where you are losing distance during your swing. All of this can be done easily in a morning or afternoon to set you straight and true for the coming season. Give us a call at Golf Integrated Academy, based at Vila Sol, on 912 263 555.