Thursday, June 1, 2017

Improving Your Golf Score


James MacKenzie - a Newton, MA-based professional with experience in the business development, supervising, and technology fields - most recently served as the on-site supervisor at the AJM Group in Waltham. Outside of work, James MacKenzie of Newton, MA, loves golfing and is pursuing a professional career in the sport.

Most golfers want to improve their scores at some point, but it’s not always clear how to accomplish this. Ideally, you should start the process by figuring out what your weaknesses are. Keep statistics for yourself while on the green that detail your total putts, short game, and fairways hit. This allows you to figure out where you are struggling and gives you a better idea of what to focus your practice on to improve. In addition to finding your weaknesses, you must acknowledge your own skill level and abilities. While it’s good to challenge yourself, regularly attempting complicated shots that only pros have been able to achieve does not help your score.

Once you know your skill-level and weaknesses, you can start practicing. Practice your golf swing and game as often as you can and focus largely on the areas in which you are struggling. When you are actually playing a game, try not to focus too much on the mechanics of your game. You want to just play golf without overthinking. 

The majority of the thought that you put into the game should be about strategy. Unlike action sports, golf requires skill and execution. Think about the shots you need to make and consider which shots give you the best chance at a reaching a lower score. In most situations, it is better to play a shot safe and aim for the thick part of the green.