As we move from August to September – it would be nice to hear that your golf scores continually improved throughout the summer. Which brings me to this question: “were you playing to improve each round or were you more focused on searching for your golf swing every time it was your shot?” It would be great to hear that most Golfers were improving each round … yet reality is that most Golfers spend 18 holes just trying to survive from golf swing to golf swing.
Now, I am not sure how much fun it is playing golf while your golf swing is in what we call “survival mode” … however I do know that Golfers in this category are usually playing without confidence or consistency. Maybe you know someone like this?
Take Tiger Woods as an example – here’s a guy that was the “Best Player on the Planet” for many years. He knows he can play … but for the last year or so, how has he been playing? And if you have watched him and listened to a few things he has recently said – there is no doubt that his rounds of golf are now spent searching for a golf swing as opposed to the Tiger Woods that used to be more focused on winning.
What makes Tiger’s recent struggles on the golf course so compelling is that the frustration he is experiencing is similar to the frustration that many Golfers go through year after year. Yet, Tiger will eventually get out of the “searching for my golf swing and struggling mode” and get back to playing to his potential — the more important question for you to answer is … will you?
To give you a better idea of what I am speaking about: if you had the opportunity to give Tiger advice on what to do with his game … what would you tell him? I know many people would tell him to find a truly qualified Instructor that has the ability to work with Tiger to find Tiger’s golf swing … not have Tiger adjust to that Instructor’s predetermined golf swing. Would you agree?
If so, then why are you continually adjusting your golf swing towards similar golf instruction? Could your struggles be based on a Golf Instructor trying to teach you a predetermined golf swing? Before hastily answering — think about this: ‘If a Golfer as successful as Tiger Woods could be led into learning a predetermined golf swing that doesn’t work for him … it would be foolish to think that you couldn’t also be led in the wrong direction?’
Most Golfers have been spending their whole golfing life doing exactly what Tiger has been doing this past year.
And if you currently rely on reading Golf Digest or watching the Golf Channel for your golf instruction… you’re also moving farther and farther away from your golf swing and closer and closer into a predetermined, one-size-fits-all golf swing. For example: if a golf tip is in a magazine or on television that is being viewed by millions of Golfers (all with different golf swings) … doesn’t that golf tip qualify as pretty much just one aspect of a predetermined golf swing? Just because it is in print or on television … doesn’t mean it’s good for you!
When Tiger was first working with Butch Harmon in the mid to late 90’s – they worked to develop Tiger’s golf swing. Thus, he became great. Now that he is working on a predetermined golf swing … Tiger is struggling. Which is similar to what many Golfers are doing when they’re reading Golf Digest and watching the Golf Channel and/or when working on a predetermined golf swing with their Instructor (who ironically most likely has formed his/her teaching philosophies from reading Golf Digest and watching the Golf Channel).
Working to find each individual Golfer’s golf swing is the number one reason why GMS is so successful. What do I mean by that? Our success is based 100% on our Golfers success in improving. So how successful are the Golfers that have come to see us? Think about it this way – the US has been in what is supposed to be a bad economy since late 2007 … yet in that time period GMS has added 7 new locations in the US and Europe that are based on us meeting the demand of Golfers wanting to attend our programs.
Now why does the success of our Golfers increase demand for the GMS program? Because our Golfers are improving so much that two things are happening. One: they are so excited to finally improve … that they’re telling everyone they know about our program. Two: their friends who have seen them play before coming to GMS are noticing the improvement: “Wow, your golf swing has really improved. I need to go to that same program.”
What’s the point? The point is that you’ll be successful and happier playing golf when you learn your golf swing. Yet, the way the golf society often looks at it is they think one Golf Professional is as good as the other in teaching a Golfer to play better. In addition, the typical Golfer believes that the golf tips in Golf Digest must be the way “I need to do it” because it’s in Golf Digest. Well, has either of those two methods helped you to play to your potential?
As many are asking “why is Tiger still working with that Golf Instructor? He’s getting worse and worse.”
I ask the same question to you about your current game improvement methods.
The Monkey goes years and years hoping for improvement, yet only sees the same old frustrating inconsistency while continually searching for a golf swing on the golf course
The Player makes a commitment to finding his/her golf swing so that each round they play is more about improvement and enjoyment
Go Ahead, Be A Player!
Regards,
Marc Solomon – Your Instructor For Life