An upcoming vacation in one of the golf clubs of Dallas does sound exciting, but is your game ready to rise to the challenges that these courses offer? Did you ever feel that you are playing a bad golf despite all your enthusiasm for the game? You are not alone. You would often meet players who are sick of playing bad golf. But the real question is, what is causing such an appalling performance? Well, there may be a number of reasons, some of which are very surprising. For instance, many golfers are not aware of the basic golf techniques, they fail to select the golf clubs that are appropriate for particular holes, and may even lose interest in the game with time. All these invariably make an appearance in their performance. However, the only way to play good golf is to avoid playing a bad one, and the first step is to identify the culprits behind the bad performance. Following are the three most common ones:
- Not Knowing the Golf Basics
If you do not have the basic knowledge of golf, you cannot deliver a praiseworthy performance. You need to understand things like stance, grip, the position at impact, distance, balance, takeaway and follow-through. Make a list of these fundamentals and focus on them one at a time. Most golfers do not like to hear about the basics because they are apparently not some super-cool tips or they do not feature in the latest golf magazines. But if you really want to improve your game, you must stick to the fundamentals. Do you first use the putter for playing the short, low-pace strokes when you are aiming to roll the golf ball into a hole from a little distance? If not, you need to pay attention to the little details. Using the putter in this context will also help you to practice your balance, flat left wrist at impact, grip, and stance. Consider applying these fundamentals to improve your chipping. This is one of the best ways to learn golf and perform better on the course.
- Not Practicing Enough
Do you know how much time you need to practice shots to play like a pro? A week is not enough as you will not be able to make your mark. Amateur golfers who play a few times a year or once a week keep delivering poor shots. Professional golfers, on the contrary, practice about six hours daily, and this does not include the time they are teeing off in a round of the game. Make sure that there are proper planning and structure to your practice. Of course, you cannot achieve it overnight. The best way is to begin with baby steps. For instance, set a target for yourself —practicing three times in a week for two hours. The next thing you need to consider is what you want to practice. For instance, if you want to improve your swing, do so religiously instead of just heading for the course and engaging in a conversation with a fellow golfer.
- Lack of Inherent Talent
Practice sessions and golf lessons are good, but they will only help you to a certain extent. To excel in the game, you need to have some innate talent and prove your mettle. There are differences between a tour player and a club pro. Both know the techniques of swing, they have practiced putting for years, and both were amateurs initially. Despite these similarities, many club pros fail to compete in a tournament because they lack the raw talent of champion golfers like Tiger Woods. And, when it comes to the inherent talent, it is not about physical fitness or athletic ability alone. In golf, you need to control your mental game. Tour players have outstanding mental focus, and that’s what distinguishes them from a club pro.
In many ways, golf is like gardening. You need to nurture the seedling (your talent in the context of golf) to see your efforts bear fruit one day. But you also need the green thumb or inherent talent to be successful in your endeavor. Before you visit one of the Dallas golf clubs on an upcoming vacation, include some practice sessions in your routine, and you will surely be able to play to impress yourself. And what better way to celebrate a golf vacation than with a low score and high praises?