Setting Short-Term Goals in Golf
What are you looking to accomplish this week, this month or even six months from now?
These short-range targets are important steps that are often neglected by golfers.
Many golfers will create seasonal goals or even longer-range goals in an attempt to accomplish their dreams but this plan often backfires.
To provide clarity, let’s examine the case of Sophia W…
Sophia was a 14 year-old golfer with a tremendous upside.
Sophia dreamt of playing on the LPGA Tour one day but she was not quite at that level.
The gap from her current level of play and where she ultimately wanted to be was big but she was more than capable of achieving her long-term goal.
Before each tournament, Sophia became excessively nervous…
She really wanted to be a pro one day.
Sophia’s anxiety usually got in her way and she would have a few disastrous holes each tournament.
Sophia took every bad tournament to heart which ripped at her confidence, caused frustration and doubt.
Sophia’s lack of confidence even affected her practice rounds and the once promising golfer eventually quit at the age of 17.
Long-terms goals are great but you need short-range targets to keep you on track and give you direction to your ultimate objective.
Short-term goals have a number of benefits:
- Give you a sense of direction.
- Help you see the progress made to your long-term goal.
- Provide a sense of accomplishment and pride as you hit your short-term targets.
- Boost your motivation.
- Keep you focus on the task at hand.
- Help you optimize your practice and training sessions.
- Assist in enduring the rough times.
- Give you feedback as to whether or not you are on course to your long-term objective.
Shanshan Feng reached one of her long-range goals, the No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings, by winning the 2017 Blue Bay LPGA Tournament, her third title of the season.
In a post-tournament interview, Feng, who also won the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, credited her success to the small accomplishments achieved along the way.
FENG: “I do tend to set up a long-term plan or objective for myself, but I also tend to do it step by step, from short term, medium term to long term, in a sense. For example, when I was 12. I set the goal to go to the LPGA. At 18, I actually entered the LPGA and realized that goal. Down the line, of course, four years later, I also won on the LPGA. That was also one of my objectives.”
These BIG accomplishments were gained through her dedication on those short-term goals. Each small accomplishment took Feng one step closer to where she ultimately wanted to go.
While long-range goals are important, you need to shoot for something in the near future and it’s those small accomplishments that lead to greater success.
A Tip for Setting Short-Term Goals:
Create a goal map.
Goal mapping is like driving across the country. Each stop and roadway is carefully planned in order to arrive at your final destination as quick as possible.
Identify your long-term golf goal.
Set 3-4 short-term goals or targets you want to hit along the way. Celebrate each accomplished goal along the way.
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Golfer’s Mental Edge
What’s the big sign that your mental game is the weak link in your golf game? When you can’t play consistently as well as when you play a practice or casual round–or your range game is way better than your game on the course. If you suffer from lack of focus, low self-confidence, poor composure or other mental game obstacles on the course, you can’t reach your true potential in golf.
The Golfer’s Mental Edge 2.0 Audio and Workbook program is ideal for any amateur, collegiate, junior, and tour professional golfer.
Golf coaches and instructors would also be wise to teach “The Golfer’s Mental Edge 2.0” principles to their players. This program is perfect for any golfer who wants to improve performance and consistency by managing their mind better on the course.