Getting to know many of you this past summer and fall has been thrilling experience. Having the opportunity to coach the Membership of a club as prestigious as Arden Hills is a dream come true, especially on a platform as unique as what The Clubhouse has to offer with its simulators from About Golf.
This is the first in our “Tip of the Month” series to be published here in the monthly newsletter. I hope you find the advice and musings on the game to be useful. Perhaps there is a part of golf with which you struggle; in that case please stop by The Clubhouse and ask about those things! Trust me, there is nothing a golf coach likes more than talking golf!
One of the three principles we abide by at Will Robins Golf is knowing the “Real Game of Golf.” So often, we arrive at the course trying to remember all of the things from our last lesson or the Golf Digest article from last month. And then, a large part of the round is spent trying to “perform” those all of things. That approach misses the point of golf and games in general. Golf is a game best “played.”
One performs a piano or dance recital, but one plays a game of tag. Golf should feel much more like the latter because the only consistent thing about golf is its inherent inconsistency.
Everything changes from shot to shot: distance, how the ball lies on the ground, elevation, wind, club, even temperature. Why try to “perform” a golf swing as a singular repeated motion when its extremely rare that you would ever need to repeat it? Until we accept that things are always changing and that we should train to adapt rather than repeat or perform, we can never truly reach our potential as players.
The most common question I hear from members is, “Are the simulators accurate?” The honest answer is they are ego-shatteringly accurate.
Enter the About Golf Simulators:The most common question I hear from members is, “Are the simulators accurate?” The honest answer is they are ego-shatteringly accurate. And I get it, no one likes to find out that they only carry their 7-iron 140 yards on average in neutral conditions; but, that is a very valuable piece of information if the lake in front of you requires a carry of 145.
In the months coaching on the simulators, I’ve seen students improve their decision-making on the course dramatically as a result of seeing data showing how far they hit each club and learning to plan accordingly. The displays on the screen essentially act a PGA Tour Yardage Book, and players intuitively begin to better manage their ball around the course and understand the “Real Game of Golf.” Plus, playing golf on them is just plain fun!
Please stop by the Clubhouse to discuss your golf games or if you have any questions or concerns about Golf at Arden Hills. I look forward to a future of friendship and golf.
