Evaluating Your Skill Only by Your Best Shots
Focusing on Distance While Neglecting the Short Game
Expecting Tour-Level Results Without the Work
Golf is not an easy sport. Even if you usually shoot in the 70s, there will be days when you score in the 90s. If you become arrogant, it is difficult to expect satisfying results. The moment you step onto the course, you must become humble. Golf is a sport that requires you to keep learning, keep realizing, and keep working hard.
Recently, an American golf media outlet highlighted the misconceptions held by amateur golfers who fall into self-deception. The outlet emphasized that if you do not acknowledge your weaknesses, you will never be able to fix them, delivering a message akin to "know yourself."
Weekend golfers often remember only their best shots. They evaluate their skill level based on their most successful moments and, before long, mistakenly believe they have become consistent. However, this is an attitude that should be avoided. Consistency is not easily achieved. What tour professionals mean by consistency is not about hitting perfect shots, but rather about minimizing the range of their missed shots.
Amateur golfers often show frustration whenever they miss the green. However, this is the wrong reaction. The media outlet explained, "Even players on the PGA Tour hit only about 12 out of 18 greens in regulation on average per round," adding, "This means they miss about one-third of the greens." In other words, hitting the green in regulation is that difficult. The same applies to putting. Even professional players have a success rate of only about 50% for putts within three meters.
Golfers with handicaps around 20 often neglect their short game. They find practicing approach shots boring and instead spend more time on powerful drives, woods, and hybrid shots. Many weekend golfers even say, "My short game is good enough, so I don't really need to practice it."
On the other hand, most golfers with handicaps of 5 or less invest a lot of time in practicing their short game. On the course, even small differences directly affect the score. The media outlet pointed out, "Practicing only what feels good is the wrong approach," and emphasized, "You must acknowledge your weaknesses and focus on your short game."
Another trap for weekend golfers is having unrealistic expectations. They expect tour-level results from amateur-level effort. They believe that since they practiced diligently throughout the winter, they will naturally achieve good results in the spring. However, the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. The media outlet advised, "Golf is an extremely difficult sport, and making changes or improving your skills is a very slow process," adding, "Patience and dedication are essential."
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