Play Faster, Play Better

As you prepare for any given golf shot, there’s a huge amount of information to process. You’re assessing wind, hazards, distance. Where’s the best place to miss? Is there any OB? How does the swing feel on the day? What’s my target? Uh-oh, that practice swing didn’t feel right.

Around the green it’s the same – how fast are the greens? Do I have a tight-lie? What’s the slope and the break? How aggressive can I be with this pitch/chip/putt?

It’s easy to get bogged down by information overload and let doubt creep in. You can second-guess your club selection. You can remember skulling the ball over the green the last time you used the wedge in your hand. You can feel the doubt and the nerves creep in.

And before you know it, you’re playing slow.

There’s an intuitive phenomenon of athletes and performers across pretty much every sport and discipline executing at their best when they are reactive, in a flow state, and when they’re not consciously thinking of every minute detail.

In the extreme you’d walk up to your ball, guess the distance, guess the club selection, address the ball, and let it rip. That obviously isn’t the right approach.

But in a game where slow play is constantly a leading topic of conversation, having a fast, efficient routine does wonders to your performance. Maybe it’s not fail-proof, and yes, it requires practice. In my experience, fast play is better play, higher-performing play, and more fun play. In addition to lower scores, your playing partners and the rest of the golf course will appreciate it.