This season I am going to play purposeful golf. That is golf played with the intent of having the best possible outcome. I plan to eliminate everything that I can control that negatively effects my performance. It is important to understand that we are not talking about physical things here; no grip pressures, no swing paths, no hip turns. Physical things, as we all know are uncontrollable. This focus is on mental things, stuff that resides in our heads for the sole purpose of wrecking our golf games. Purposeful golf’s goal is to eliminate the mental junk.   

  For me head trash is always there. I easily can find things to think about that are detrimental to my game.  

“That group in front of us sure is playing slow. I can’t wait this long.” 

“The group behind us just got on the tee. I better hurry up.”  

“How many practice swings does this guy take?” 

“I am hitting fairways, but I’m missing greens. I’m hitting greens, but I’m missing putts.”  

“I stink.” 

  I could go on, but you get the message. The human brain has an infinite ability to distract us from our desired path. Purposeful golf aims to eliminate those distractions and put us in a mental state that fosters success. As all golfers know success equals enjoyment. 

  There are three components of purposeful golf; timing, strategy, and outcome. Master these and the stokes are going to come off. 

Timing- 

  A round of golf takes 4 hours. If you count driving to the course, warm up, and a beer afterwards your total time commitment is around six hours.  Yes, golf is a big-time event so let’s not waste it. Agree beforehand that you are going to give yourself the time to complete the task. Do not schedule an appointment that requires you to get down faster than usual, do not tell the wife you are going to be home at a time you know you can’t make. This leads to “playing to get done” which happens on the back nine when your only focus becomes finishing the round. All the good work you put in prior to this moment is now being wasted. 

 Timing also involves being ready to hit when it is your turn. Take the time to do it right; visualization, aiming, practice swing and execution can all be completed in two minutes. Commit to two minutes of solid concentration. 

  Proper time management, spending no more than two minutes over the ball, means you are playing at a reasonable pace. Eliminate all the fretting about who is playing slow or who is playing fast. You are now an efficient, super focused player. The rest can take care of themselves. 

Strategy- 

  Have a plan or a strategy every time you play golf. First and foremost, your strategy should be compatible with your skill level. Shots that have a low percentage of success for you should not be included in your strategy. At my handicap, a ball on the green in regulation is a good result. If distance from the green or an obstacle or a forced carry over a hazard, make that shot a low percentage of success I layup. Par is still in play I could make a putt and while bogey is likely I have eliminated the big number.  

  Your strategy should be formulated by your chances of success. That high draw over the tree that you have to hit to reach the green is it really going to work? Likewise, is a putt left short going to go in? Learn to play the percentages and watch the scores come down. 

Outcomes- 

  Once you have trained yourself to eliminate all the distractions circling around in your brain and play the shot required you need to accept the outcome of your efforts, good or bad. Golf is not a game of perfect and bad outcomes will come from good efforts. An errant shot must not be allowed to affect your mind set. Purposeful golf requires that you stay in your bubble and continue to bring the focus. All of us have either seen or been the golfer who lets a bad hole ruin a round. At the end of the round your score matters during the round keep track of your focus. 

  So, there you have it. My goal for the upcoming golf season. I am going to play purposeful golf, and nothing is going to stop me.