Golf Tip

How to Learn from Each Round of Golf to Improve your Score

Most golfers are familiar with a pre-shot routine, but many golfers overlook improvements they could make after the round. After each round, understanding the importance of where you made your mistakes, and how you can learn from them will help take strokes off your score. Especially if you play the same course over and over, you will gain valuable insight each round that will help you during the next.

Your post-round routine has two basic elements. You want to identify why you struggled on the holes you did, and ask if you could have improved your club choice or if you just had a bad shot. You always want to start with acknowledging something that was exciting or something that you did well during that round. One thing we know about golfers as they transition from junior to collegiate, to adult golfers is that they start becoming increasingly negative over time. Speaking a good round into existence and having a positive attitude after bad shots will help limit the damage from less than desirable shots.

Make sure to watch players that are better than you, and see what you can learn from their play style. When you see them walk off the 18th, ask them, “How did it go?” or What did you shoot?”. Most golfers will dwell on one bad hole, or maybe a series of bad shots saying, “If only I didn't double that 17th hole I would have shot a decent score,” or “I'm just really not on my game.”Being self-reflective after rounds is important, but having a good attitude and being able to roll with the punches is better. As we just saw in the Master, Tiger Woods shot a 10 on the twelfth hole, a par 3. Instead of being hard on himself, he used this to lock in and dominate the rest of the course. Having a mental edge and believing in yourself can save a horrible round from a bad round.

Next time you are out on the course, give yourself a pat on the back for something that went well. Maybe you hit a super long drive on the 15th hole or you stayed within your mental approach and you didn't get frustrated out there. Maybe you hit a birdie on #5 or a long snaking putt on a #7. Even if it was not a positive round overall, just acknowledge one thing that you did well. Speaking your wins into existence will help aid your confidence as a golfer.

Try to summarize what you learned from this round of golf, and how it can help you improve in your next outing. Every round contains a lesson. Maybe the lesson is that you need to work on your short putting, or maybe the lesson is that your bunker game could use an upgrade. Regardless of what it is, that lesson is going to be what you are going to focus on during your next practice session. Practicing the things you are good at is fun, however, the best golfers attack the worst part of their game.

Number One: Acknowledge something that went well.

Number Two: Ask yourself what the lesson was and use that lesson during your next practice session.

If you can start incorporating this post-round routine into your game, it will be one of the best things you can do to shoot lower scores and enhance your overall game.