Wally Armstrong’s Blog

One common trait I see among a lot of average weekend golfers is unrealistic expectations of their game.  They often have full-time jobs and families to take care of, yet they want to play like the pros.  Many of them could if they were willing to make the sacrifice, but I would never be the one to encourage them to do so.  Families and careers should never be sacrificed for a game—any game.  Only when someone chooses to make a career in golf should they begin putting in the time it takes to play really well, but even then, they should carefully temper the time it takes away from their wife and children, not to mention their service to God.

I tell average golfers to take a close look in the mirror, asking themselves some tough questions about their game.  How much time do I really have to put into my game?  Should I be spending the time practicing when I have other priorities in my life that are being neglected?  And what are some realistic expectations of my scoring abilities based on the time I have to put into my game?

Once a player has discerned the true potential of their game and honestly assessed the amount of time they should be putting into it, they are equipped to put together the best practice plan to help them reach that goal.  The key is a balanced practice that takes all of these factors into consideration.  When you understand your limitations of skill, abilities and time, you can better plan your practice, prioritizing your time on the driving range, and the chipping and putting green accordingly. 

Almost without exception, when weekend golfers do this, they decide to spend much of their time on the range practicing their short game and putting—chipping around the green and getting in close to the pin.  Nothing helps average golfers lower their scores more quickly than learning how to get up and down from around the green. 

As I’ve often said to my students, unbridled expectations ruin many a pleasant round.