Modern day life is obsessed by instant glorification. The “I want it now mentality” can create some super driven individuals that reach some incredibly high goals. I also think that it creates many delusional people that can’t deal with reality. These people under achieve because they don’t understand the correct learning cycle.
I don’t like (I hate!) quick fix golf instruction. I think it is impossible to learn a better golf swing from reading instructional tips from a golf magazine (or any source). Golf magazines might profit from writing them, but golfers are definitely not helped by the many articles that appear around the globe each month.
The quick fix approach creates golfers that never give themselves a chance to learn. They jump from tip to tip in the hope that something will work. Invariably they fail…so the search continues. This merry-go-round continues week after week and year after year. It’s the worst way to learn and is fraught with frustration and confusion.
A golfer who understands the learning process realises that they need to go through an uncomfortable “learning stage” first. This is when you muck up and hit more poor shots than good. Later, this golfer understands clearly that they must be able to perform their skills to the automatic level. Then and only then will they be able to play golf to their own best potential.
This process can’t happen in five minutes. It takes time. It also requires patience. It is not easy to ‘keep trucking’ when you are struggling to hit the ball. The tendency is to change the approach and go after a more popular, but less successful, quick fix approach. The thinking that conscious control is the master is a flawed one.
A patient golfer will relax and understand that learning a better golf game is an art and not an exact science. They know that despite a few hiccups, that they’ll get there in the end.
Patience is more important early into the learning process. It’s a lesson that once learned will hold the golfer in good shape when they encounter difficulties in the heat of battle during competition. This is something that every golfer will need to deal with once they start playing more golf and strive to lower their handicap.
Be patient, have some fun and move away from the destructive quick fix approach and you’ll make significant improvement in your game.