One of the greatest challenges in golf is arriving at an endstate where you are happy with your game. There is no doubt that the process from point A to point B is a challenge most amateurs struggle to develop. I was not really any different until I decided to adopt a different approach to golf. Instead to trying to the ‘big fix’ for a particular skill I was developing, I decided to break it down into small pieces I could manage. Desmond Tutu once wisely said that “there is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” What he meant by this is that everything in life (golf) that seems daunting, overwhelming, and even impossible can be accomplished gradually by taking on just a little at a time. This approach is perfect for golf; it is a matter of figuring out what the right steps are to achieve our ultimate goal.

Developing a process to achieve a golf goal can be daunting. When we look at our ultimate goal of (picking one out of the air) eliminate 3-putts from my golf game. I am confident many if us have thought of this goal over the years and it is something that is attainable. To be fair, everyone 3-putts from time to time, but what I am talking about is breaking the routine of three whacks on the green. To be honest, I do not 3-putt often, but when I do, I become frustrated with my short game, very fast!

There are some many aspects of putting that most amateurs should address that it becomes overwhelming. Should we work on our grip, stance, ball position, tempo, contact through the ball, aim points, or follow through. The answer to the above barrage of things to think about is yes…..all of them. Yes, all of them but not all at the same time. Chances are there are many overlapping qualities for each subskill to putting. As we move through the list of things to improve, the overlap should become very obvious.

The most important part of the process is to pick one and start focusing on improving that skill. For example, maybe you want to improve your air. There are pre-shot routines that help you focus on this skill. Surprisingly, adjusting your aim will improve your ball position, aim points and stance. I am sure you can think of other areas of overlap, but I think you get the point. Once you have mastered your aim process, pick something else. And build the second skill without changing the first. Eventually, you will touch on all the skills where your putting greatly improves. The goal of no 3-putting will become more of a reality.

Getting from here to there in golf can be daunting. Breaking down our desires into smaller, achievable, realistic goals is the process I used and continue to use to improve my golf game. It helps minimize the anxiety of trying something new and empowers my game to go to the next level.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

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