Golf Tips: Cutting out bad habits on the course as a resolution

Regardless of who you are, we all have some sort of bad habit on the golf course. In today’s golf tips, we look to improve our game by cutting some of them out.

As I’ve gotten older and seen more and more types on the golf course, along with what I have seen coaching, I’ve been made aware of all kinds of bad habits on the course. In today’s golf tips, we get honest with ourselves and look at the ones that we might have, and in turn, work on getting rid of them.

Some of you out there may be thinking “pfft, I don’t have any bad habits”. You know what? Good for you… you liar. You probably hate any good golf tips.

Sure, there might be the rare person out there that doesn’t have a bad habit. Good luck finding them though, as everyone has something that they do, that if they got rid of, would either make them more fun to play with, easier to get along with, or have a more trustworthy score.

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Yes, even you, the player who hasn’t hit a putt inside three feet in the last five years. Sure, it’s easy to do, and “I’d make that putt anyway”. Knock your putts in. All it’s going to do is give you a more accurate score and handicap. When you play with people who make you hit and hole every shot, it’s going to be obvious why your 8 handicap and your score of 91 seem so different.

Maybe, you have a bit of a problem with bad language on the course. Sure, it can be fine to mutter the occasional naughty word here or there. To the person who is dropping an F-bomb on every other swing, and let not just your partners on the 12th fairway know, but those a couple of fairways over on the 17th know as well. Yeah, you. Stop it. No one likes you. No one wants to be around you.

I know that when I play, I like to have a couple of cold ones. To many people, including me, it just seems like part of golf. You’re outside, enjoying what you hope will be a nice walk amidst the golf, and cracking open some daddy soda. That’s all well and good… until you need to be carried in the cart from the 13th hole on. Or have to sit in the clubhouse for two hours afterwards to sober up, and were a mess on the last few holes. Enjoy yourself, but at least remember what you’re doing.

Some of us hit bad shots. Okay, nearly all of us do at some point in our rounds. Whether you are a scratch golfer who keeps pushing a shot, a 10 handicap that is occasionally chunking, or a weekend golfer who can’t seem to figure out their short game. What you don’t need to do is toss your clubs when it happens, or worse, bury it in the ground. Best case? You feel mildly better. The more likely scenario is that you break something, hurt yourself, and people stay away from the angry person.

I’m all for a mulligan occasionally. Especially when it’s early in the year and you haven’t played much. Maybe you are taking one off the first tee cause you just didn’t have a chance to warm up. Or you don’t have an official handicap, and just want to get some work in.

The players who take a handful every round, re-hit putts and chips, and then post their score like it’s a true reflection of their game, you need to stop it as well. I definitely don’t mind when it comes tournament time and you realize you are a golfer in the high 90’s instead of mid 80’s, but don’t boast about being better than someone when your 84 happened in 97 swings.

Lastly, if you are going to have a handicap, it’s simple. Play by the rules. No foot wedge. No free drops. You went out of bounds, so no, you do not get a drop unless your course has the local rule allowing you to drop on the edge of the fairway after adding two strokes. That can actually be useful if you get ahold of one and just barely go OB.

After I’ve gone and said all this (admittedly, it got me worked up a bit), by all means, please have fun on the course. Golf should be a game that we all enjoy. If allowed then play your music respectively. Have a couple of drinks. Enjoy your time out there with your friends. Play some side games and make it interesting. Golf if a great game, and we should all be having fun.

Next. Golf Tips: Eliminating your misses by changing your aim. dark

Oh, unless you’re a sandbagger… you’re the worst person on a golf course. Go Away.

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