Kent Chase
One of the differences between a championship player and an average player is the amount and kind of focus they bring to becoming highly skilled.
Many golfers want to become good players. They spend time practicing, but their mindset is capricious. Accordingly, their progress will be limited, and their competitive results will reflect it.
Championship players, however, have a purpose and a plan to everything they do. They spend their time and energy wisely, effectively. They diligently work on those essential areas, which can lower their scores and will allow them to execute successful shots when in the heat of battle.
Interestingly, the first step in developing a championship mindset is to get into the habit of establishing goals for every part of the development process. Goals are powerful because they distill many disparate thoughts into a single purpose.
Communication of goals between an instructor and a student creates a unity of thought, which results in faster progress. When goals are reached, the player experiences the great satisfaction of achievement, and he knows he is getting better.
Setting goals should start at a high level. The first question I ask of a new student is, “Why are you playing golf, and what do you hope to get out of it?” Many students look at me blankly, not knowing what to say. Some of my younger students will answer, “I want to play on the PGA Tour,” or “I want to earn a scholarship.” Other older students will say, “I want to beat my buddies. I am tired of buying lunch.” Eventually, I will elicit a response. The main point of this exchange is the fact we are instantly communicating, and we have established a purpose for what we are going to do. That is progress.
Every player should establish a firm set of goals for all phases of their game. Writing those goals down is even more powerful. I ask my younger students to do this because it creates an indelible imprint, which helps to propel them forward. Start with high-level goals stating where you want to go with your game. You will be making tangible progress, just like my students.
Kent Chase is a Class A PGA professional instructor at the Malaska Golf Academy, Las Sendas Golf Club. Kent is a Top 50 U.S. Kids Master Teacher and a Southwest Section PGA Teacher of the Year. More than 50 of his students have won state high school championships, and many of his students have played professionally. Connect with Kent at KentChaseGolf.com or at LasSendas.com.