How is it possible that we see a Golfer that struggles to break 100 and then within a few weeks, he/she is emailing us about shooting an 88?  Yet, how is it possible that we also can get an email from time to time from a similar Golfer that writes - "Although, I feel as if I improved, my scores aren't showing the improvement I've seen from other Golfers that have written to you on your website and in Golf Improvement Weekly each week."

How can one Golfer improve so dramitically and one Golfer stay the same as far as score is concerned?

You must look deep inside the message to find the answer.

How can a Golfer that says that they're hitting the ball more solid not improve their scores?

For example - A Golfer who's average score is 98 when they come to see us says that if they can improve their Driver, meaning keep it in play more often, that their scores will improve.  This same Golfer then improves their golf swing dramatically when seeing us.  They write that they're hitting their Driver much better - they've made more Pars than they've made in the past along with making more Birdies.  Yet, they're still scoring the same.

If you averaged 98 for a round of golf and you've improved your Drives, so that you're keeping the ball in play more often and you added 10 yards to your Driver - should your scores improve?  Yes, of course they should!  By how many strokes?  I can't tell you that - it depends on how inconsistent you were before.  But, if you keep just one more ball in play compared to before - then you have improved by at least one stroke.  In reality, you have most likely improved more than one stroke, though let's just say you improved one stroke.

If you averaged 98 for a round of golf and nothing else improved except your wedge shots around the green, so that now instead of hitting behind the ball once-in-a-while and leaving the ball short of the green or topping the ball and having the ball roll over the green to the other side - now your wedge shots stop on the green (doesn't have to be very close to the hole, but at least your first shot is on the green and your putting rather than having to hit another shot) - should your scores improve?  Yes, of course they should!  By how many strokes?  I can't tell you that - it depends on how many shots you used to hit short or over the green in 18 holes before you came to see us.  But, if you just hit one more ball onto the green compared to before - then you have improved by at least one stroke.

If you averaged 98 for a round of golf and nothing else improved except your PLAN on the golf course, so that you knew what your predominant ball flight was so that you didn't play the Monkey game of aiming down the middle or at the flag every shot - which will save you a ton of strokes over 18 holes - though let's just say you do this on one hole out of the 18 - should your scores improve?  Yes, of course they should!  By how many strokes?  I can't tell you that - it depends on how many times you have aimed for a flag on the right side of the green and ended up in the right bunker causing you to take two strokes to get out and then 2 putt.  As opposed to aiming to the left side of the green, getting on or close to the green and then taking 2 putts - which if you do, you have improved by at least one stroke per round.

If you averaged 98 for a round of golf and nothing else improved except you now understood that the weakest aspect of your game is trying to hit your 3 wood off the fairway on a par 4 or par 5 because you wanted to get closer to the green - meaning we found out that you had at least one penalty stroke or hit at least one ball into the trees which you had to waste at least one stroke getting out - and now you you have learned that if the green was 210 yards away, it would take you fewer strokes over 18 holes to hit your 7 iron 130 yards and your pitching wedge onto the green from 80 yards than it would take if you tried to reach the green with your 3 wood and slice it into the trees or water every-once-in-a-while causing you to make a round killing Double Bogey, Triple Bogey or Worse - then you have improved at least one stroke per round.

"Oh, if I could just get rid of those Triple Bogeys!"

So before we go on, let's count up the number of strokes you should improve at a minimum - at least one for keeping one more ball in play because of a better swing, at least one for getting one more ball onto the green with your wedge, one more stroke for aiming away from the flag and staying away from the trouble (sand & water & being short-sided leaving a tough shot), one more stroke for understanding that a 98 Golfer over the long run will take less strokes hitting a 7 iron and then a wedge rather then making mistakes with their 3 wood (Pars and Bogeys compared to Double Bogeys and Triple Bogeys).

So that's a minimum of 4 strokes and that's if you just improved minimally!  Realistically?  The 4 steps above should help a 98 Golfer improve 6 to 11 strokes instantly.  A 98 Golfer should go to scoring between 92 and 87 instantly!  And as I say this, please understand that I hate just about every golf advertisement that says instantly.  There's no basis to a lot of that stuff.  What I'm saying to you is easily seen if you take each step above by itself.

There shouldn't be a "I got to let this all sink-in!"

What's there to sink-in?  "Well Marc, this idea of not using my 3-wood is something new.  I need to try it back home?"  Do you make more penalty strokes with your 3 wood or your 7 iron?  "Of course I make more penalties with my 3 wood."  Then what needs to sink-in?  You're wasting strokes with a club that you're using only because your ego is in the way of making better scores and playing smarter.

And you know what's crazy?  Really, really crazy?  You should improve a minimum, an absolute minimum of 4 strokes, though in reality you should improve 6 to 11 strokes after you learned the above and I haven't even mentioned green reading and your putter!

"But Marc I'm a good putter - I hardly ever more than 2 putt!"  Well if you 2 putt every hole, that's 36 strokes and 36 strokes for putting is at least 3 strokes too many.  Yet, if you're a 98 Golfer, you average around 42 putts per round - since a 95 Golfer averages 41 putts per round.  So if you were able to get two putts per hole, you could realistically say that you improved 6 more strokes.

So why don't some Golfers improve as fast as others?  Because they're so worried about improving 5 strokes with their Driver and 5 strokes with their irons and 5 strokes around the green and 5 strokes with their putter - that if they don't see a 20 stroke improvement right away, they go back to their old ways and continually see the same scores.  The 98 Golfer believes they need to hit every tee shot perfect to improve 11 strokes.  The 98 Golfer believes they need to hit 12 Greens in Regulation to improve 11 strokes.  And that's why they don't improve!

Why do we get so many testimonials talking about dramatic improvement?  Because these Golfers have stuck with the PLAN we developed with them.  And the beauty of Golf Made Simple is that if you lost your PLAN - if you lost your way, you always have your Golf Instructor For Life.  For example - the email that I spoke about at the very top of the page, where the Golfer hasn't improved their scores like other Golfers that have seen us - That GMS Golfer has a telephone conversation set-up with his Instructor tonight (Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006) to find out what we can do to get him back on track.  Have you set-up a telephone conversation with your Instructor For Life?

If not, then why not? 

Is it not part of the program you're currently working on?  Well it's an essential part of the Golf Made Simple Program!  If Tiger needs to call his coach when he's not around and Annika needs to call her coach when she's not around - then what makes you think you don't need to have a telephone call with your coach?

Monkey's don't stick with a PLAN

Players live by their PLAN and if the lose their way, they set-up a telephone call with their Instructor For Life

Go ahead, Be a Player!

Regards,

Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life