From Hitting Balls to Having a Plan
Settle in. Let’s talk golf.
Something happened during a recent round that made me realize my game is changing.
Not because I suddenly became a great golfer.
Trust me.
Nobody is confusing me with Rory McIlroy anytime soon.
But for the first time, I realized I’ve stopped doing what most beginners do.
I’ve stopped just hitting golf balls.
And I’ve started practicing with a purpose.
That may not sound like a big deal.
But I think it’s one of the biggest shifts I’ve made since I started playing.
A few weeks ago, I recorded my swing and started comparing it to older videos.
That’s when I noticed something.
My lead knee wasn’t bending during my backswing.
My right foot wasn’t coming up naturally through impact and into my finish.
In other words…
I was swinging more like a baseball player than a golfer.
So instead of trying to fix ten things at once, I picked one thing.
My lead knee.
That’s it.
For the last few weeks, I’ve been working on allowing it to bend naturally during my backswing.
Not perfectly.
Not consistently.
Yet.
But better.
And that’s the whole point.
Small changes.
Better golf.
When I got to the course last Friday, one of the guys in our group was warming up with these slow, easy practice swings.
Almost like he was in Singing in the Rain.
Nothing aggressive.
Nothing complicated.
Just smooth back and forth motion.
So I tried it.
And then I had one of those little golf ah-ha moments.
It immediately helped.
It slowed me down.
It relaxed me.
It gave me time to think about the things I’ve been working on:
• Watching the ball
• Completing my backswing
• Letting my lead knee move
• Finishing balanced
• Getting onto my trail toe at the end of the swing
Simple.
Intentional.
Purposeful.
Then I did something else that was different.
I made a plan for the round.
Instead of obsessing over my driver, I decided to focus on everything inside 120 yards.
I’ve heard the phrase a thousand times:
“Drive for show. Putt for dough.”
And I wanted to see what would happen if I gave my short game the same attention I’ve been giving my driver.
What surprised me was how much that decision changed my mindset.
I wasn’t trying to crush every tee shot.
I wasn’t chasing distance.
I wasn’t trying to impress anybody.
I was simply focused on what I came there to do.
And something interesting happened.
I played better.
Not perfect.
Better.
I started using my rangefinder on every approach shot.
Instead of guessing, I knew the distance.
Instead of grabbing a club and hoping it was the right one, I had a reason for my choice.
I started thinking through shots before I hit them.
And over the course of the round, I noticed more and more of our best-ball selections were mine.
I also learned something that sounds obvious now.
Not every shot should be aimed right at the flag.
Sometimes the best target is simply the safest spot near it.
Funny enough, when I stopped chasing the perfect shot, I started hitting better ones.
Then one of the guys in our foursome said something that stuck with me the entire weekend.
“This is the best I’ve seen you play.”
Mic drop.
Now, it wasn’t a perfect round.
Far from it.
But hearing that felt incredibly rewarding.
Because the improvement wasn’t coming from luck.
It was coming from preparation.
From having a plan.
From practicing with intention.
And that’s when something finally clicked.
Most golfers spend hours hitting hundreds of balls.
I’ve done it too.
But eventually, there comes a point where improvement starts requiring more than repetition.
It requires direction.
The Next Shot
The biggest shift in my game recently wasn’t a new club.
It wasn’t a training aid.
It wasn’t a magic swing tip.
It was moving from simply hitting balls to showing up with a purpose every time I practiced and played.
Knowing what I’m working on.
Knowing why I’m working on it.
And giving myself time to improve.
Because golf isn’t usually changed by one perfect round.
It’s changed by small improvements repeated over and over again.
One swing thought.
One adjustment.
One plan.
Small changes. Better golf.
