Habitually, I think about how to maximize my efforts when using the DYI driving net over the winter. As I was perusing YouTube, I stumbled across a video by Hank Haney; which by the was was posted on Brian Penn’s page. Then I remembered about a post I commented on by Brian Penn dealing with taking 100 practice swings a day. It was fate, so I figured I do more research and this is what I found out.

First the video:

The more I think about this tip, the more I think it is going to fit perfectly into what I want to accomplish over the next 6 months. But, before I get ahead of myself I need to actually articulate what I want to accomplish during my off-season. The funny thing is I have stepped away from writing down my goals over the past few years (had other more important things to focus on 😉 ). Or at least following through with my plans.

Well, today it stops. I will articulate my plan over the next few days. I went back to a 2016 post remind myself of the following about building a great practice golf plan:

Idea – The idea step is sometimes the hardest. Where should I start? As a 3-handicap player, this ‘something’ could be as simple as adjusting the ball position within my stance. However, to determine what needs to be changed requires research. Additionally, if you have collected stats from last year, that would a great resource not to overlook. The deliverable from this stage is to decide what to adjust; then plan to actually make the change.

Planning – This is better known as the how-to step. This is when you come up with the plan on specifically what you are going to focus on. I want to emphasize that keeping it simple is critical to success. Start with one or two areas and then plan the drills, tips or approaches that best fix your area of focus. Once completed, on to step three.

Execution – This step is as important as the first two. It is time to put your plan into action. Choosing how, when, where, and what is critical.  Should you play more than practice? Should you track your success? Regardless, taking action is the way to go. Execute your plan until you have achieved your goals and once satisfied it is time to sustain your success.

Maintenance – this is often the most overlooked step of how to complete a successful golf plan. Maintenance generally looks like your execution step, but on a smaller scale. Your successes achieved during the execution step need to be fostered.  It is important to keep building on the aspects you have fixed and not to revert to old habits at the first sign of trouble.

There are three key concepts I need to infuse into the above plan. It has to be sustainable, achievable and measurable. Yup, there is no sense building a plan that is totally “not doable”! I have built plans like that in the past and they failed miserably in less than a week. So, learning from my past failures, I will take a step towards success by being realistic and sensible.

I kind of wandered off the original topic thinking about a retro post. But, once the hamster wheel starts turning, it cannot be stopped. So, stay tuned there is more to come!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!