Most golfers who play once a week understand that hitting the seventies on a regular basis requires a level of commitment, in time and resources, that is beyond their reach. Achieving a level of consistency, however, now that’s another story.
All golfers, at all skill levels, can develop consistency. The first step is to have a clear definition.
According to the Merriam/Webster dictionary, one definition is: “an action that is firmly established by long persistence.” This definition of wave is not exactly what the typical golfer has in mind. If we adapt this definition to the game of golf, then the popular lament of being “consistently inconsistent” would fit the bill.
How would you define consistency? The best hitters in baseball reach base safely a third of the time. Hockey teams strive for a win-loss ratio of fifty to fifty to make the playoffs. Although golf is generally recognized as one of the most difficult sports to master, golfers of all levels tend to equate consistency with perfection.
Is the score the ultimate measure of consistency? Have you ever scored well but played poorly? Would you be satisfied if this was a consistent pattern?
The distinction between playing well and scoring makes golf a unique sport. On those rare occasions when both factors come together for a fleeting moment, we might try to analyze the results in hopes of recreating them on demand. Invariably, the search ends with a patient resignation to “live and fight another day.”
The best players in the world understand that their swing changes daily, based on how they feel. This applies to an even greater degree for the once a week golfer. He may not have the physical prowess to regularly hit three hundred shots, but all golfers, at all levels, can learn to control how they feel.
The concept of “feel” is typically used in reference to the Short Game; chipping and putting, but it applies to every shot. Learning to trust his sense of touch is a difficult task for the golfer who has been conditioned to play by conscious thought.
Establish a definition of consistency that will help you feel good before every game. I interviewed students after one round who were delighted to use the same tee for 18 holes!
Improving your score is the ultimate goal, but when you focus solely on the score, each round becomes an emotional roller coaster. Set different goals for different parts of the game that allow you to feel good.
How you feel affects how you perform. Why wait until after you’ve achieved your goal to feel good?