“Grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Last time, I covered the first sentence about serenity on the golf course and leaving your bad shots behind you, because you can’t do anything about them. This time, we’re going to cover having “the courage to change the things that we can.” This is a far-reaching topic, but let’s start with why people rarely change. It’s got nothing to do with whether they’re capable of change. It’s almost always down to the fear of change.
Change only occurs when your frustration and discomfort with your current situation reach such a level that you feel you have to seek out a better solution. The problem is that wanting change is much easier than actually making change. Christmas is coming, and very quickly after Christmas comes the New Year’s resolutions, and just as quickly after that, usually in February, things revert back to how they were before. That’s because the discomfort felt internally isn’t worth the perceived gains. However, if you were to stick with the plan, it would bear fruit.
Sir Dave Brailsford, the genius behind British Olympic Cycling and the Sky cycling team, made the process easy to understand. Bear in mind that when he took the helm of British Cycling, the team had only won one medal in 76 years of Olympic racing. So his mountain to climb was both complex and steep. Especially when, upon taking charge, he told the world the team would win Olympic medals and a Tour de France within five years.
He put it all down to establishing the operational level required to be successful and win medals, having an accurate stocktake of the resources currently available, and then figuring out where the gaps were and how to bridge them. The man is forensic in his approach and has outstanding people skills, understanding how to get the most out of the athletes and the team surrounding them. But he did it. He called it and he nailed it.
He attributed his success to aligning the process of driving the team forward with the personal desires of the individuals involved. Once those two areas were working in harmony, it was just a matter of putting in the work and getting the job done.
So, if we’re going to talk about your desire to play better golf, the best place to start would be to say, ‘define success‘. Where do you want to be in a year’s time? Then, accurately assess where you are right now. From there, put together a 12-month plan to bridge the gap between your current state and your desired future. Break the process down into manageable, month-by-month goals.
The key here is to perform an accurate audit of your game: putting, chipping, bunkers, pitching, short irons, long irons, fairway metals, driver, strategy, and technique. All of these need to be precisely evaluated. Ideally through a playing lesson and observation of your practice routine. Once the audit is complete, a plan for progression and a process can be created.
The amount you believe you can do it, the level of fun you want to have during the process, and the regularity of the work you put in are just as important as the audit and the plan. Without belief, enjoyment, and consistent effort, failure is almost inevitable.
It’s not rocket science, and it’s been done many times before. Players I’ve coached have taken up the game, achieved their dream handicap, and even won their biggest cheque under the most pressure they’ve ever faced. (All different players, mind you!)
Ask yourself what do you want to achieve, and how high is your tolerance for change? Then, let’s get started.
Courage is key. Then change can occur.
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