Ok, as the season is winding down, it's a good time to reflect on our past year's golf game and see where we are, where we wanted to be and start making plans for next year. So take some time and think about your rounds and put together a plan for how to improve those things that need improving.

If I've learned anything watching Hank Haney try to fix Charles Barkley's golf swing, it's you gotta have a plan and patience.

(And sorry for the long post, but here's my assessment)

For me it was a very up and down year. I did not practice as much as I did the year before and it showed. My goal had been to more consistently shoot in the 70's this year and that did NOT happen. I spent most of the year on the cusp of that, shooting 81-83 having lots of pars and one or two bad holes.

Case in point, last full round, was 5 over going into the last 2 holes and double bogeyed both to finish 81. Good score and I 'm not complaining but I have to work a little harder.

I also didn't make as many birdies as I should have. I make a lot of 2-putt pars which is fine, but another way to help counteract those doubles is to make a few birdies.


I liked how I hit fairway woods this year. That's one fix that's stuck. Driver got a little inconsistent as of late so I need to work on that. Irons, well they came and went so more work needed their especially with mid/long irons. I seem to hook those too often.

Wedges also need work. As many holes as I'm hitting Driver/Wedge on, I need to do a better job getting my approach shots closer to the flag. I might start to track how close my approach shots land in relation to the hole So I can see progress. But if i hit it closer, I'll make more 1-putts.

Short Game/Around the green: Still pretty strong. I am pretty good with my wedges chipping so I save a few strokes a round getting up and down. Still going to work on it but if I can hold that steady I feel good about it

Bunker Play: Gotta improve. The bunkers at my course I hate. Not the normal sand, it's more no-sand to red-clay dirt sand. So I have to spend more time working on bunker shots because we have over a hundred bunkers on my course I think. Right now, getting out in one makes me happy! But I need a 0 degree bounce wedge in that stuff!

And putting, well, IF I hit my irons better those get easier but I missed my share of short putts this year. i did very little putting practice this year and it showed. So definitely going to be working on putting and making myself practice that more next year.

Fitness: well, I've never really thought much about fitness and the golf swing but I have been working to lose weight this year, and did (lost 20+ lbs with more to go) but the other day, as I was getting my annual eye check up (ok, really about every 3 years ) the doctor was remarking after looking into my eyes that I must be working out. I was surprised but he said he could tell from the condition of my inner eyes that I was getting exercise and things really looked good. So anyway it made me start realizing that staying physically active and trying to get more healthy has effects we can't even "see" (pun intended). So I'm setup with a buddy that has been trained in that whole PTI fitness evaluation stuff and I'm going to get assessed and see what I can add to my game from that direction. The work I've been doing on the bike and jogging has helped me not be tired when I play which helps the game in general. but the stretching/flexibility stuff will help as well.

And then lastly, the mental review. I did an "ok-to-poor" job this year on the mental side of things. I did try on the course to think about what I wanted to do with the ball, where I should stay away from, where I wanted to miss to, those types of things. Should I shoot at sucker pins, etc. But at the same time there were way to many times that I just rushed up and hit a shot not getting fully set or aligned. So that's why the "ok to poor" rating. I didn't do a bad job but didn't consistently do a good job either, so it needs work. I can really see the value in having a caddie out there to remind me to look at this, think about that, choose a target, etc. All those basic things that sometimes we either overlook or don't fully think through. Several times as of late I completely failed to think about the wind impact on my approach shot, being so focused on all the other factors, and sail the ball over the green. augh!

So that's my wrap up. I'm going to cut and paste that and email it to myself as a reminder to setup my plan for next year. I really suggest others take time to breakdown their games as we head into the off-season and think towards next year. Every little bit helps.

Scott, that's an excellent evaluation. One thing my boss always says is you can't just set goals as concepts, you have to define a measureable result. So for example, with your weight loss/fitness, you may have set a goal of losing 25 lbs, so you can say that you have 5 more lbs to reach your goal (and the follow up goal is to maintain that weight for a year!).
We often set a vague goal of "getting better out of the sand"...a pro probably sets one like "have 75% of my sand shots land within 6 feet of the hole" or something.
I have to define some goals in that manner because I think to really improve one needs to set measureable goals. I can say that I got better this year vs last because my handicap went down, but there are still aspects of my game that I don't feel made any improvement (that darned sand shot).
One defined goal is that I want to watch the Phil Mickelson short game DVD (which came out a couple of months ago) - and I'll define the goal to watch it by the end of February at least once so I can implement it in the Spring. One of my friends said it really helped her.

Excellent point Aimee. Yeah, I too sort of look at my results and say, I need to be better here and better there, but what constitutes "better"? So maybe I'll think about that more and try to define specific measurable benchmarks.

Anyone else have thoughts on their game as the season winds down?

Once again, it's get out and play more. This year started off well, and then life caught up. I still think I'm not going to play as much as I want to unless I join a club or perhaps a league where I'm committed. It's really a matter of prioritization. Traveling so much is tough, especially with a little one around, but looking forward to when I can take him to the range with me. When is that Scott?

What I did do well, is that I probably hit more fairways this year than years past. I slowed my swing down, limited my takeaway (thanks Bill), and really tried to work the low-and-slow approach. Need to work on following through though, as I have a very abrupt finish. Still, those fairways helped a lot and in addition to burning that in when the season rolls around again next year, I need to implement some small tips to improve putting. Of the GIR's I did have, many were wasted due to stupid putting mistakes (lack of concentration and not taking my time).

By the way, congrats on the weight loss. I need to get serious about that again too.. ugh, it never ends.

Chris, yes there is always something huh? Too bad we don't make enough $$$ to have a personal trainer and a chef keep us in line huh?

Like everyone else I am always wishing I could play more golf. However, I did accomplish a lot. At the beginning of the golf season, I felt an urge to begin competitive golf. On my first round of the year I decided if I parred the first hole I had to try to play at least one tournament. I made a par and so I had to figure out what I wanted to played. After playing and practice more than I have in a long time, I decided I wanted to try to qualify for the U.S. Mid-Am. I did qualify and was able to make the cut into match play. I was very excited with how I played. My swing feels good. I wish my course management was better I am always hoping to hit the play a little further but I have to play with what I got. My putting is my weakest part of the game. I wish I had a green in my backyard to practice as much as I can. Well, I hope to play some more tournaments next year. I like the competitive spirit and I like to practice for the goal of a tournament.

Can't wait for another year of golf:)

Good for you PSU. My instructor once told me that only about 5% of all golfers ever play competitively. Now I'm not talking about the weekend captains choice/charity team things, I mean you against everyone else. I do it about once a year at a local tournament and it's challenging. I have yet to be satisfied with how I played but I go back out the next year. I missed a few years but am now back in it. next year I may try a few more minor events around here just to help build my confidence in playing.

But good for you!

Scott, we need to build this thing up and get you on the payroll, then once GGR is in the top 10 golf sites, we can work out with our personal trainer after breakfast, play 18, have our massage, then dinner prepared by "Chef", write our review or article for the day and then off to bed. Hmmmm...

Thanks srushing. I had a wonderful year. I am a Pennsyvlania girl so my elite goal for next year is to try to qualify for the Women's U.S. Open at Oakmont. I am from Western Pennsyvlania so it would be fun to try. Just another goal. I love to have a tough goal so I have a good training program set.

Srushing you should definitely get involved in some golf tournaments. No only are they fun and can help give your practice time some structure but the atmosphere of tournaments can not be beat. Good luck with golf.

PSu, so what's your real name? Somewhere on one of the boards we had a thread on "Who am I", so if you feel up to it, tell us more about yourself.

I am planning to play in more events next year. Competing should force me to take my game to the next level. And I'll have to practice those areas of my game that are weak. Incentive is not to embarrass myself

Chris, I'm with you there my friend And we'll need a hot tub to relax those muscles after all the workouts

Scott, It seems YOU missed PSU's post where she told us a lot of good stuff about herself, as well as her name. Did you read the post by Chris interducing Katrin Wolfe? Time to catch up on your post reading my friend.

Oh yeah, hot tub is definitely a requirement..

Oh I'm sorry Katrin, I must have missed that. Life has been complicated for a while.

And it looks to get more busy even now, but in a good way: My brother, who has been in poor health, just got the call today that he's ready for organ transplants, so I picked him up and took him to the hospital. So tomorrow in the whee hours, he'll be heading into surgery to hopefully restore a great bit of quality of life. I'll keep you all posted!

Scott, best wishes for a speedy recovery. We'll keep him in our prayers. What's your brother's name, if you don't mind me asking..?

Scott please let your family know I am thinking about them Good luck to your brother, and I hope for a great recovery. I am thinking about you and your family.

Thanks everyone. My brother's name is Steve. My mom named us siblings, with all S's (Scott, Steve, Sue). He's a super nice guy, but unfortunately always gotten the short end of the stick health-wise. So hopefully this is a first step to getting back to a normal life. He's been doing dialysis for over a year so with the kidney and pancreas, that should all end. wow...it's hard to believe it's finally happening....