Leading up to AEP, I am willing to bet that you build a plan of attack for your business so you are prepared for anything that comes your way and you can execute your game plan. The same idea applies to every shot you take on the golf course.
Before you put your club behind the ball, make sure you have analyzed everything you can so you can eliminate any doubt about what shot you are trying to execute. On the tee box, you want to think about where the wind is blowing, what distance you want to leave for yourself on the second shot, what way the fairway bends, and where you want the ball to end up if you don’t hit it as expected. Approaching the green, you want to think about similar things; what your lie is like, where the wind is coming from, what the distance is to the pin, and where you would put yourself in the least amount of danger if you don’t hit the shot exactly how you want.
Here is an example: you have an approach shot of 140 yards to a pin that is hugging the front right side of the green and there is a bunker protecting the front and right sides of the green. Your lie is flat and in the fairway with a slight breeze blowing in your face. If a well-struck shot from your 8-iron flies 140 yards, it would behoove you to grab your 7-iron for this shot. If you do not strike that 8-iron perfectly, you will probably end up in the bunker, especially with that little bit of wind in your face. If you hit a smooth 7-iron, you will more than likely end up in the middle or back of the green with a chance for birdie and eliminating the chance of the shot ending up in the bunker.
If you watch the guys on the PGA Tour, they do this exact same thing. They will spend an extra 15-20 seconds analyzing what is in front of them so they can get over the ball and be confident about the shot they are trying to execute. Standing over the golf ball without a clear picture of what you are trying to accomplish creates tension and only bad things come from tension in the golf swing.
Take a page from your business practices and apply it to your golf game. By gathering the available information and analyzing the potential outcomes, you set yourself up to execute to the best of your ability.
Nic LeClair
Former PGA Professional
