The Power of One Thing
One Small Adjustment. One Big Difference.
Settle in. Let’s talk golf.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to do something that felt equal parts productive and terrifying.
I pulled out my Portable Caddie launch monitor and started comparing my swing videos from eight months ago to where I am today.
The goal was simple:
See how much I’ve improved.
The fear was also simple:
Discover I haven’t.
Because let’s be honest…
Every golfer has that moment where they wonder if they’re actually getting better or if they’re just spending money in a more organized way.
So I started recording.
And well…
My swing still isn’t exactly a thing of beauty.
I still have a long way to go before anyone mistakes me for Rory McIlroy.
But it wasn’t all bad.
When I compared the videos, I could actually see improvement.
I wasn’t exactly going from Barry Bonds to Rory McIlroy…
But I was at least moving in the right zip code.
The swing looked a little more controlled.
A little more athletic.
A little less like I was trying to hit a baseball over the left field wall.
Progress.
Then I started looking closer.
That’s when I noticed something.
My body still looked tight.
My torso looked stiff.
My hips looked stiff.
Everything looked tense.
Instead of looking smooth and athletic, it looked like a giant rubber band being wound up and then fired in a random direction.
Not exactly the tempo I’m chasing.
So I kept comparing my swing to videos from instructors and players I like to watch.
And then I noticed something I hadn’t seen before.
One small thing.
My lead knee.
Or more accurately… the complete lack of movement in it.
Every instructor I watched had movement in their lead knee during the backswing.
Mine looked like it had signed a contract not to move.
Completely rigid.
And suddenly I had something specific to work on.
Not ten things.
Not twenty things.
One thing.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been focusing on allowing that lead knee to bend naturally during my backswing.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing revolutionary.
Just one small adjustment.
And the difference has been noticeable.
Not perfect.
Better.
Maybe a lesson would have identified it faster.
Maybe not.
I still plan to take lessons because there’s no substitute for good instruction.
But there’s also something rewarding about discovering a piece of the puzzle yourself.
You notice it.
You work on it.
You see it improve.
That’s a pretty cool feeling.
The real test came during a recent Topgolf session.
For nearly two hours, I was hitting irons better than I ever had before.
Better contact.
Better distances.
Better ball flight.
More confidence.
And most importantly…
Fewer moments where I immediately wanted a do-over.
Was every shot perfect?
Not even close.
Was it all because of one knee adjustment?
Probably not.
But the consistency was noticeably better.
And it all started with one small adjustment.
That’s what got me thinking.
Most golfers are constantly searching for the next breakthrough.
The next video.
The next training aid.
The next tip.
The next club.
I’ve done it too.
But sometimes improvement isn’t finding something new.
Sometimes it’s finding something that’s already right in front of you.
Then giving it enough time to actually work.
That’s the hard part.
The Next Shot
Continuous improvement isn’t about fixing everything at once.
It’s about finding one thing worth improving and giving it your full attention.
Most golfers try to rebuild their swing every weekend.
Then wonder why nothing sticks.
The biggest improvement I’ve made recently didn’t come from a new club or a magic drill.
It came from slowing down, looking honestly at my swing, and finding one small thing I could improve.
That’s how improvement happens:
Not ten swing thoughts.
Not a complete rebuild.
One adjustment.
One focus.
One step forward.
Small changes.
Better golf.
Real Talk. Play Better.
Effort builds results
