We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Do You Want to Get Better?

I want to get better. For me to get better, I have to get more consistent.
 
I'm at a point now that I'm happy to be able to play. As a senior I know my better days are behind me. Still I can play and enjoy the game and God's creation.

A man's got to know his limitations.

Dirty Harry
 
Definitely want to get better. Going to take some lessons and go to the range more to practice. If I can just get rid of the major issues and get a little bit more consistent I can lower my scores noticeably. This will make the game a lot more fun.
 
After two years of not doing much, I have been woking for 3 months to change patterns, now working on speed, and it's time to play more often.
 
Yes I desperately want to get better. Unfortunately I know I don't have the time or means to do it so I just go out there a handful of times a year and hope I have a good day.
 
I absolutely would love to continue to get better but the reality is I would be overachieving if I can maintain my game over the next year. Working 2 jobs, maintaining health, getting older and just very busy around the house just allows essentially zero time for practice.

Where I can without too much effort is improve my putting which I have been trying to get to course 10-15 minutes earlier than normal and dedicate that extra time to putting and I am starting to see some promise 🤞.
 
JB said:
This sounds like a strange question, but one just posed to me. Do you want to get better? I guess the alternative is not necessarily getting worse, but rather are you content with where you are.
Click to expand...
That question IMO can only usefully be answered in concrete terms. In the abstract, sure we'd all love to play better golf.

But realistically, it's a matter of whether you are willing to do certain things in order to get better. For me the answer is no. At one time it would have been an enthusiastic yes but I eventually realized that the "getting better" lifestyle was not for me.

There is simply no way to get meaningfully better at golf without devoting time and energy to practicing. Not necessarily beating 200 balls at the range every day or building a hitting station in your the basement. But it takes more than going for a handful of lessons every year and hitting a small bucket before your round working on "feels".

All I want to do is play golf. As much golf as I can in the lifespan I have left. I'd rather play 200 rounds a year of bogey golf than play 50 or 100 rounds a year shooting the 70's, with the rest of my time spent practicing, taking lessons, working on my strength and flexibility and otherwise "getting better".

If I suddenly found myself completely stymied by the game, unable to break 100, duffing every shot then I'd find a way to get better than that. To me there is a certain minimum level of basic competency that keeps the game only mildly frustrating and, in the end, enjoyable. But I was easily at that point after playing for just a few years (along with a fair bit of lessons and practice).
 
Yep! I want to continue to improve while my son gets better as well. I want to be a role model for him in his journey.
 
I am constantly working on it. I am getting better but it’s tough to score well. That said, I would play golf even if I wasn’t getting better. I love this game. It’s an area of my life I try to keep recreational because the rest of my time is spent doing pretty serious work (job, family, church).
 
Started this journey some 20+ years ago, and after 5 years of devoted practice, teaching myself this game, I would shoot in the high 80's-low 90's. Somewhere, I lost that edge, and over the last 12-15 years, 100, and sometimes more on the scorecard. My equipment is less than 5 years old, though I do have a few clubs older than that. I don't dedicate myself to practicing that much anymore. I just play when I can. Some seasons, it was only 5 rounds! Can't maintain a game like that. Last year played 13 rounds, and at times, my rounds were a little better, breaking 100 a couple of times. This year I have l have played 6 rounds thus far, and it has not been that good. All rounds above 100 on the card. Took a Swing Evaluation at Goltec, and the tweak they gave me has helped some, especially off the tee. Taking lessons at this point is really not for me, as I won't play enough to put them to use. When I retire, might be a good time to put in that effort, as I will have time to play what I learn. 87-92 is my "target score" to getting better. When I will get there is anyone's guess. Not putting a lot of pressure on myself at this time to get there. Just enjoy getting out and playing when I can. Family obligations, and life get in the way, as with anything we do.. Having a goal is a good catalyst to keep at it, but knowing that you once played better can be mentally exhausting. While playing, I just try to forget the past, and concentrate on the here and now...
 
Like most, yes I would like to get better. But time is the one thing I can't buy more of and the time I do get to dedicate to golf, I'd rather be out playing than practicing. I've been enjoying playing this year without worrying about results as much. What's funny is I'm playing my best golf without caring as much about score.
 
I definitely want to get better. After years of being in the 90's, last summer was the first time I started shooting in the 80's with some consistency - not every round, but an 86 was more common than a 96. That really got me pumped up and excited to get even better and work on things with more focus. Took a driver lesson and really started paying attention to course management, unlike before when I'd just try and advance the ball as far as I could, regardless of club.
 
Yes and I plan on doing so. Eventually when we are in a position to do so I plan on taking regular lessons.
 
I've given up on that dream. I just want to have a good time when I'm playing.
 
JB said:
This sounds like a strange question, but one just posed to me. Do you want to get better? I guess the alternative is not necessarily getting worse, but rather are you content with where you are.
Click to expand...
Never content, which I am not sure if that is necessarily a good thing. I am wanting to get better and doing the best I can with the limitations on time to play and practice that comes with having a young family and a job.

I was not happy with how I was putting so scheduled a lesson to have someone help and it has been beneficial. I am also getting lessons set up to have some look at my swing as I'm not hitting the ball as consistently as I would like. I was playing some good golf towards the end of last year and want to get back there.
 
Yes, I was down to around a 10.5 when I had to stop playing for 7 years due to nerve problems. Now that I'm back I want to get back down to that point and lower. Lessons, new club fittings, garage sim for practice, golf fitness program, new polos (look good, play good ha)... I'm all in trying to get to single digits in the next 12-24 months.
 
I want to get better. I unfortunately have some limitations to continue to practice. My knowledge of the game helps to stay on the same level that I currently am.
 
Yes I want to get better.
 
Absolutely. But, with the exception of my short game, hard work doesn't necessarily translate into getting better.

Even though we have more knowledge of the golf swing than ever before, many of us don't seem to be improving.
 
Sean said:
Absolutely. But, with the exception of my short game, hard work doesn't necessarily translate into getting better.

Even though we have more knowledge of the golf swing than ever before, many of us don't seem to be improving.
Click to expand...
Yup !!
 
It's a bit of a double edge sword for me. I am making some great progress, but it will all come to a screeching halt in about a month. I am happy with my game, but I can see that with a little more dedication, I can reach the level of play I know I am capable of.
 
Probably my biggest obstacle is impatience. I can't stand in front of a mirror checking swing positions for 20 minutes every day, I can't get on a practice green and rehearse one part of my stroke over and over. My attention wanders, I lose interest and even if I did complete it, it would be a half-assed effort for half of the session.

I love short game practice, it's fun to me and I could spend hours around a practice green hitting different kinds of chips, flops, chutts and bumps. I make it into contests, to try and get up and down every time, or try to get the ball closer to the pin. But if I went out there and stood in one place rehearsing the first half of my backswing, analyzing hand angles, shaft lean and clubface position over and over, I'd be checking out in less than 10 minutes.

I love playing golf. Probably one of the reasons I play fast is that I can't wait to hit the ball - and after I hit it, I can't wait to go find it and hit it again. And again, and again. I love that there's a specific start point and a specific end point, and specific, tangible objectives. My head doesn't work well if I'm doing something just to do something and there's no goal/endpoint. Tell me to just go out and go for a run with no goal of time, pace or distance, and I can't get excited about it. Tell me to go run 5K and try to break 35 minutes, give me my running watch to track my progress, and I'll be engaged and give it my best. If I have time to spend at a golf course, I'd much rather be playing than practicing.

All of the above may or may not be to my detriment and may or may not be why I haven't improved more than I have. But I'm playing golf for enjoyment, so I might as well enjoy what I'm doing while I'm doing it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top