The OpenMind Golf programme was developed by Mid-Sussex Golf Club PGA Professional Neil Plimmer and hypnotherapist/psychotherapist Steve Griffiths and is a gateway for golfers of all abilities and ages to improve their golf.
People who set goals achieve more than those without goals. We can all think of examples of highly successful sports people; do you think that any of them have succeeded without a clear and specific goal of what they wanted to achieve?
It seems obvious that if you know exactly what you want it is easier to achieve than if you are vague or ambiguous, but the truth is even more pronounced than that.
Think of all the people you know who would like to achieve something but whose goals are not big or clear enough and thus they constantly end up failing?
If you have a clearly WRITTEN and SPECIFIC goal it is easier to create a structured action plan to achieve it.
In the 1950's Yale University did research into the results of goal-setting. The results they discovered over a 20 year period were astounding. When they investigated the success of the graduates they found that the 3% of graduates with clearly written goals in the 1950's were worth more in terms of wealth than the other 97% put together.
They also had better health and relationships. It is worth noting that there were no other obvious mitigating factors.
When setting goals it is important that they match certain criteria. Simply saying "I want to hit the ball further" is not enough. The mnemonic SMART has been devised to aid checking that a goal is as compelling as possible:
S - specific, significant, stretching
M - measurable, meaningful, motivational
A - attainable, agreed upon, achievable, acceptable, action-orientated
R - realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-orientated
T - time-based, timely, tangible, trackable
81% of 69 Sussex County Lady Golfers we questioned do not have SMART goals
To improve my swing
To play well
To stay at current handicap
Sink more putts
To be consistent
To achieve a certain handicap
Become the best I can be
These are not SMART goals
Do you have a goal? Is it a SMART Goal?
Short Term Goal
eg A goal for a practice session - I will improve my set-up routine working specifically on my alignment and ball position.
Medium Term Goal
eg I will take two lessons this month to improve my putting, working specifically on my green reading and pace control.
Long Term Goal
eg In 12 months' time I want to be able to enter the Club Championship and compete for two rounds against the other single figure handicappers in the club. To achieve this I will need to improve my driving, concentrating on hitting more fairways in a round, upping my percentage from 25% to 65%.
Write Your Goals Down
Written goals greatly increase your chances of success. Simply thinking about your goals is not enough.
Review Your Goals
There is little point setting goals unless you review them regularly. You can then assess if you have made the necessary steps to change your goals or change your approach.
To find out more about the OpenMind Golf Series contact Neil Plimmer at Mid-Sussex Golf Club on 01273 846567 or email neilplimmer@tiscali.co.uk or see openmindgolf.com for more details.