Write it down
Three Guys Golf Blog: How many times have you stood on the 18th tee box and suddenly remembered a key swing thought and then proceeded to rip your first good drive of the day? This is exactly what happened to me yesterday during a cold and hungover round of golf. Now I could blame the Jameson, the hangover or the 48 degree weather, but I am going to chalk up my 1st 17 miserable holes to forgetting a key swing thought.
How is it possible for us to make this mistake over and over again? My remedy for this problem is to take short notes that can help me when I get in trouble during a round. Unfortunately, my head was pounding that day and I needed another note to remind me to look at my notes.
Kidding aside, I have found keeping notes to be a valuable tool to use both during a round and at the range. Not only can it help you get back on track, but it ends up chronicling your approach to the game. For example, I have found it quite interesting to read what I used to think was important so I can then evaluate whether I feel the same way or whether I have made further adjustments. I know it may sound stupid but I really believe that because golf is such an evolution of thoughts and mechanics, a journal can be one of the most valuable tools in your bag.
Yep, I’ve had litle stints where I do the same thing and it’s definitely helpful. It’s amazing how quickly you can forget a swing thought that, two weeks ago, you thought was the true Eureka! moment.
I’ve been rewriting and rewriting a step-by-step description of my golf swing for over a year. It is now like a precious bible verse to me. Every word, every phrase carefully nuanced, based upon thousands of golf shots and swing thoughts. Yes, I agree, the golfer will benefit immensely from having written words to “anchor” the eternally ebbing and flowing parade of swing thoughts that haunt his mind. Once you have this anchor, you will discover just how unreliable memory is, and how feeble your ability to learn in an unstructured manner.