Dreams and particularly golf dreams are wonderful things.

They provide the fuel and motivation to keep going. They can be the number one reason you get out of bed in the morning.

The lack of dreams and indeed your golf dreams can be the number one reason you stay in bed late and spend the rest of the day getting ready to go back there.

The reality is that the majority of people no longer have clearly defined dreams or aspirations.

Their life dreams, let alone golf dreams have been battered over the years and they now equal the equivalent of what their currently reality is. Simply put, people shrink their dreams to match their current situation.

It is a shame but people can only take so much rejection and disappointment before acceptance becomes the norm.

The number one reason to me is that there are a lot of people who have dreams that are not really what they want. They may be something they think is important to them but on a level far deeper, they know the dreams can come and go, they are not that important.

A golf dream is something that hits you where it matters most..In your heart. It is what you think of in the morning and what you sleep with at night.  It is so real, you can touch it, smell it and most of all you believe in it.

The biggest killer of golf dreams in my opinion is expectations.

Or atleast unrealistic expectations you have in comparison to the efforts you are willing to put in.
So you want to be a professional, a scratch marker or even an A grader? Does your effort match the wishful thinking golf dreams?

There is always a price to pay for success but not everyone is honestly prepared to pay it. There is an old saying that suggests that the price to success must be paid not only in full but also in advance.

So you want to be a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer or even a teacher of physics, which is terrific. The question is whether or not you are prepared to go to university and study before your dream can be met.

The reaching of your golf dreams takes work.

It takes time and it takes one dimensional effort.

I remember a student asking for some specific guidance. He wanted to become a professional which is always a great thing to hear. However, he wanted to achieve the feat in 1 year with two half days and a full day of practice to devote himself.

With a handicap in the single figures, the golf dream was sound but the effort required was given very little thought. He was setting himself up for a fall.

If you have a dream like this, my advice is to find someone that has achieved it and ask about what it takes to achieve it. Aim to do it quicker if you like but unless your effort matches the timeline, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Failure and rejection is what stops most people in their journey towards their life dreams.

Your golf dreams are not that different

If this sounds like you, your dreams have either not been big or real enough or you have not attached a timeline that portrays your level of effort.

If I told you it took 1 million golf balls being struck before you could call yourself a golf professional, would you pay the price? (28 yrs @100 per day) (14 yrs @200 per day)

I do not know if those figures are close to the mark but they provide good food for thought.

What if that figure was 500,000 instead?
(What cost is associated with your golf dream?)

My last word on expectations running parallel to efforts is easy. Hitting 100 balls per week and having an 18 hole round on Saturdays will not turn you into a scratch golfer so make sure your expectations reflect the effort you are putting in.

In closing, always remember….. Nobody Ever Steals Your Dream !!

The great thing is that dreaming is fun and if you want to turn your golf dreams into reality, go for it and never let self doubt stand in your way!

Paralysis by analysis

is more common than you could imagine and it will infest your game before you even know it.

One of the most common questions asked of me when it comes to golf is what do you actually think of when you hit a ball.

The answer is nothing.

Paralysis by Analysis is thinking of everything.

If I have to think of something, I would think tempo but my preference would be to have a totally blank mindset. It’s a blank canvas that Im looking to work with.

The amount of time it takes to swing a golf club does not allow you the time to think of anything. It is over in a flash and if you think you can change your swing half way through, you are desperately clutching at straws.

Golf is one of those sports where less is best.

If less is best, why is it that so many people flood their heads with concerns?
Trying too hard? disecting your game looking for answers? IS YOUR ARM STRAIGHT? DID YOU LIFT YOUR HEAD? DID MY WEIGHT STAY BACK? DID i COME OVER THE TOP?…. stop asking/shouting questions. Stop over analysing.

It is called Paralysis By Analysis

I remember watching a young golfer with big ambitions practice and it was interesting to watch. He hit iron after iron with sheer precision. He was like a machine.

The longer the session went, the more it looked like he was just waiting for a bad shot and sure enough it came.

This is where things got interesting because he began to take his entire swing apart and implemented changes that he deemed necessary.

My point is… does your swing need to change because you hit one bad shot in a dozen?… Perfection is a great thing to aim for but the pursuit of it can paralyse your efforts.

The harder you try, the more things you change. The more things you change, the more you question what it is you are doing. The paralysis is starting to choke your efforts.

Many years ago, I stood in front of a group of students and wanted to test their knowledge.

Standing in front of the group I addressed a shot and to the surprise of many,I topped it.

The question I ask you just as I asked the group is why do you think I topped it?

Answers came thick and fast and some of them were more technical than others. There was, you lifted your head, your arm bent, your spine angle increased and a whole lot more.

Whats your thought?

With no correct answers after the first hit, the shot was repeated. It was easy. All i had to do was follow all the advice I had just received. Dont lift the heel, transfer more weight, strengthen my grip and take it away a little more on the inside….. how could I go wrong?

Have you figured it out yet?

The reason I topped the golf ball is because I wanted too. I hit the top because thats exactly what I wanted to do.

Whats the point of all this?

My point is that golfers need to keep things simple and stop filling your head with analysis that serves nothing other than a paralysing stimulant.

Every time you hit the ball left, right, high or low, there are reasons for it but do you really want to know them all?

Do yourself a favour and work on one or two things at once, no more, no less. Work or think of more than this and you are over analysing, you are going to cripple your game with paralysis by analysis.

You will be glad you did. One of the most common questions asked of me when it comes to golf is what do you actually think of when you hit a ball.

The answer is nothing. Paralysis by analysis is not the answer!

If I have to think of something, I would think tempo but my preference would be to have a totally blank mindset. It’s a blank canvas that Im looking to work with.

The amount of time it takes to swing a golf club does not allow you the time to think of anything. It is over in a flash and if you think you can change your swing half way through, you are desperately clutching at straws.

Golf is one of those sports where less is best.

Paralysis by analysis will suck the air out of you at the same time it sends you into an uncontrollable brain meltdown.