Well, I have taken a quite a few days off from thinking and writing about golf. I have allowed myself time to recharge (still working on that) my golf batteries in order to set the stage for next season. There really is not much difficulty in refocusing on my game as my life is very simple. It is full of love, joy and gratefulness, however I do have time to devote to my passions. Being retired is great and my passions, such as golf, are allotted more time. How blessed am I? Having said that, getting into the swing of golf is all about setting myself up for success. I have discussed the importance of developing a plan many times and this year no different. Interestingly, this year I plan to take a different approach.

I am not planning a huge reveal as if it is a secret. My plan is very basic, but with a minor twist. My plan is always in four stages and here is what I have for this year:

• Idea: I am creating the thoughts of how to play better golf. I want to focus on using different equipment. I have three sets of clubs I want to use: MIzuno MP20s, Ping Eye 2 with persimmon woods, and my hickory sticks. I think that because they are all different in style and construction, I will need to focus on my swing mechanics and tempo a great deal more. I am thinking that this will help my overall game because I will need to work on the foundation of my swing.
• Planning: It is a simple plan. I am writing down my goal and developing a strategy of playing and practicing with my different clubs. I have a large back yard (125 yards across) that will facilitate perfectly for working on my short game. Practicing will be critical to success and I have the space and time, so…. I plan on playing at least one round a week with each set. More if I play more. This should be enough time to create the conditions for success.
• Execution: This phase is the easiest. I play plenty of golf. I just need to stick to my plan.
• Maintenance: After a month, I plan to revisit my idea and see if I am noticing any improvement in my game. The metrics are a bit fuzzy right now because score cannot be the only deciding factor. I have played enough golf to know if my game is improving and where I might need to tweak my plan.

As you can see, my twist is playing with three different types of golf clubs. I think that this approach might improve my overall swing foundation. If nothing else, it will be fun trying the different sets while playing on the links. What do you think? Is it worth a try?

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