Are you improving as quickly as you can? The chances are, if you’re like most golfers, you’re not. Indeed most golfers reach a plateau and stop improving all together. They then replace improvement with excuses and reasons, such as not enough time, limitations of their swing or their body etc etc. Whilst these may contribute, the most common reason for lack of improvement is not lack of commitment to play, rather a lack of commitment to learning when they do. The simple truth is this – playing doesn’t make you better, learning does. So how do you learn well to speed up your improvement?

I’ve talked before about using the “Learn Box” after each shot, to make sure you learn from each shot you play and move on to the next shot feeling good. I now want to go into more depth on exactly how to learn. Focusing on learning during your round is a crucial element of playing in NOW. It helps you to let go of the outcome and immerse yourself in the process of playing one shot at a time. I was coaching a tour pro recently who had been struggling for a while with the yips. He used to be an excellent putter but had become more and more twitchy over putts of every length, even missing the odd 2 footer! During our work together I was really impressed by his ability to learn. It stood him out above the majority of amateur golfers and also most pros too. This enabled him to start applying the work we did together to be making confident smooth strokes and really enjoying putting again within our first hour together. He started holing all sorts of putts, but that wasn’t what excited him. The putt he got most excited about was one that he missed – he even high fived me because he was so excited!

So how can you miss your target and still be really happy, surely this doesn’t make sense? It does if you know how to learn well. Average players get to be good players through their commitment to learning well from each shot they play. Most golfers simply play poor shots and feel frustrated about having played a poor shot. They often don’t know WHY they played it though, or how to change it for next time. Good learners get more specific with their diagnosis, allowing them to feel good, even after a “poor” shot. Your own accuracy of diagnosis is a key part to know what to do differently next time.

There are 3 factors that determine the outcome of all of your shots and all 3 need to be considered in the “Learn Box” to accurately answer the “Learn Box” question “How could I play that even better next time?”.

1. The Plan

Was the shot and club you chose the right one? For example, if you missed the green, did you miss it because you did not allow enough margin for error, misread the wind, ground conditions or slopes? Or if you’re on the green, was the line and pace you chose right for getting the ball in the hole?

2. Commitment to the Plan

Once you have decided on the plan behind the ball in the “Think Box”, did you stick to the plan throughout your routine in the “Play Box” and the shot, or did you change your mind at the last minute?

3. Execution of the Plan

When in the “Play Box”, did you execute the plan the way you wanted? For example, did you swing and strike the ball the way you wanted, or did you stroke it well when you played your putt?

He high fived me when he missed his putt because he made a plan, committed to it and executed it perfectly. He missed purely because he misread the putt – ie the plan was wrong. He committed 100% and executed a great putt though which was why he was so thrilled!

I’m curious - which of the above 3 do you pay most attention to? If you’re like most golfers you’ll answer number 3. I believe this is why we have built an obsession with swing and stroke technique and blame this when things go wrong. Good learners make good golfers because they know which one of the 3 to work on next time. Do you?

I hope my mental golf tips help you learn how to learn so you can improve with every shot you play. If you would like to learn how to improve more, sign up for my newsletter here and receive a FREE series of six golf psychology tipcasts.

Love every shot!

Adam Sprackling