How To Be A Successful Player
If you are interested in playing at the next level, whether that means that you are just getting in to the game and want to get better or you have already had some successes in golf then we have put together some important information for you. Many people have their own tricks of how to improve your game, and through our coaching and playing experience we have highlighted what your next steps should be to become a next level player.
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Get an honest assessment of your game.
When you go out to play a round of golf whether you are playing a 9-hole course like Chica or an 18-hole Country Club you should be keeping an honest score. Take your penalty strokes and don't take any mulligans. Keep track of your putting, chipping, fairways, penalties, and greens and regulation. Once you have an honest score and stats we can start identifying ways to improve the different areas of your game. We like to remind players of three guidelines to improve your game: NO penalties of the tee, NO two chips, and NO three putts. If keep that in mind every hole you will be shooting low in no time.
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Practice how you want to play.
Practice like a champion to play like a champion. The difference between great players and mediocre players is their focus in their practice. We believe that you should be 100% wherever you are. If you are at school, you need to be 100% there focusing on your learning and improvement. When you are at the golf course, be 100% there working on something for your game whether that is putting, chipping, long irons, or woods you need to practice with a purpose. You should practice with the same focus you would have during a match. If you don't practice concentrating and hitting a shot under pressure in practice you will never be able to make the shot in competition. Look up drills online or ask a coach. The reason that pros are able to make incredible shots during a match is because they practiced that shot 10,000 times before and they tried it over and over until they knew they could get it right. We also recommend playing and practicing with someone better than you are so that you can learn from them.
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Allow yourself to be coachable.
You need to be able to trust someone to help you see the things you might not be seeing. Our coaches will analyze your game and find places that you need to improve, we might give you drills or goals to work towards. We are on your team and have had the opportunity to watch many golfers and see what has worked and what hasn't. Work with us and your game will elevate. We also suggest that you look in to getting a swing coach before or after our competitive season for more personalized attention. As a tip: You don't want to change things in the middle of competition and make yourself unpredictable as sometimes changes in your swing take time to adjust. We have some recommendations for what swing coaches we think produce the most successful results and you can find more information about swing coaches here.
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Don't play only during the season.
Golf is a sport which you need to have a feel for. If you take too long of a break, you will lose your ability to fine tune your swing, chip and putt well. We highly recommend practicing in the off-season in our off-season program.
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Play in Tournaments.
If you want to improve your game you need to set goals and measure them in a serious environment. If you are interested at playing at the next level in golf and continuing to become a college level athlete playing tournaments is a must. If you are looking to continue to improve then competing in a tournament will only help you. They are a different environment and let you see how you are doing compared to other golfers in your region. These tournaments are fun and give you something to work towards. These tournaments will also get you exposure to coaches at the next level and this is where a lot of recruiting happens. For more information about Junior Tournaments click here.
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Watch Videos
Something a bit newer to sports and particularly golf is the ability to learn about the game from watching online videos. We are not suggesting getting rid of your swing coach and solely using an app or video channel to improve your game, but watching videos on chipping and putting or different approaches to shots can teach you some great drills and teach you a ton about the sport and how to improve. The best part is that it is free and you can do it even if the weather is bad or its too late to play.
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Know the Rules of Golf
Learning the Rules of Golf can be one of the most important parts to your game. It isn't easy as there are a lot of rules and sometimes they are confusing, but if you know them you will know the best way out of a jam and you will learn how to evaluate your options better when you are playing. To learn about the rules of golf you can look up videos and go to the USGA Rules Website. Click Here for Learning the Rules. Click here for a List of the Rules.
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Set Goals
One of the best things that you can do to become a better athlete is to set goals for yourself. These goals need to be realistic and attainable. For example, if you just shot 100 on a course your goal should not be to shoot an even par 72 your next round. Your goal shouldn't even be shoot a 95. You should look at your game and the problems that you had and then attack an issue, like if you had 40 putts then you should try to work on the putting green and have 35 putts your next round. This is why you want to track your scores honestly.