Over the past 10 years, The Grateful Golfer has provided a plethora of instructional advice that may or many not have helped your game. The reason I have added an exit sentence is because depending on your golf knowledge, the instructional advice was helpful or useless. If you are new to golf and really want to improve your game, then I recommend that you increase your golf knowledge and turn it into action. This process is how beginners become great golfers. Learn, understand, execute, and repeat is how golfers lower their golf scores. There is no quick fix, instant understanding, or one specific method that all golfers use to be a scratch handicapper. I will suggest that all successes are rooted in the amount of golf knowledge you use during your golf game.

As an experienced player, I have increased my understanding of what skills and techniques work best for my game. I still have a very long way to go, but my journey is one based on expanding my knowledge and understanding of how golf is played. There are many aspects of playing great golf that are impossible to achieve without a foundation of knowledge. I could make a list, but I think that would just frustrate many beginners. I found a video by Mark Crossfield that offers some possible ideas on what beginner golfers might want to learn. I will say that this is not an all inclusive list, nor will it fit every player. However, it does offer potential starting points for players who have the basic understanding of grip, stance and swing mehanics.

The challenge most golfers have is understanding where to start their process. As I mention earlier, the basics of grip, stance and swing mechanics are first. After that, many of the concepts mentioned by Crossfield would be a benefit. However, each of his points require their own learning process of expanding your knowledge and fitting it to your game. I use a four step method that works for my game without fail. You can modify it to fit yours, but the overall concept is sound:

1. Idea – The idea or knowledge concept s sometimes the hardest. Regardless what you choose as your focus ensure that it is simple, focused, and duplicate-able.
2. Planning – This is better known as the how-to step. This is when you come up the plan on specifically what you are going to change. I want to emphasize that keeping it simple is critical to success. Start with one or two areas and plan the drills, tips or approaches you are going to use. Once completed, on to step three.
3. 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 move to step four.
4. Maintenance – this is often the most overlooked step to how to follow a successful golf plan to expand your knowledge and improve your game. 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.

Expanding your golf knowledge is important. As we build a strong foundation of understanding, it is easier to delve into more complex and/or refined topics to hone your game. I can tell you honestly, my knowledge journey has never stopped on or off the golf course. It is how we improve our golf game, lower our golf scores, and most importantly: Having fun!

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