We asked Steve Sharpley – The Business Golfer – What Can you Learn From Your Scorecard?
Golf is more than a good metaphor for life or a mirror for a person’s character away from the golf course, it’s a fantastic ‘game’ for learning how we approach getting better at something (or not).
Most of what is talked about is keeping track of the ‘stats’ on our game: Fairways hit, greens in regulation, up and downs, the number of putts, etc.
But there’s more to learn from the round, and its scorecard. I recently played a Stableford competition.
Playing off 15, I was level par after the first 8 holes!
I had totaled 23 points and still grossed 39 for the first time on the front nine.
The back nine was not as brilliant, but a ‘solid’ 15 points left a total of 38 points which still included two blobs.
It would have been easy to end up disappointed after such a brilliant start but regardless of whether I think about my rounds in the clubhouse, I have learned it’s really helpful to review the round fully, within a few hours.
Especially if it hasn’t gone as I would like, but even when it has been a good one.
When I replayed every shot later in my mind to see and record what happened, I noticed a pattern I didn’t see during the game or even straight afterward.
I knew that several of my tee shots had gone left, but on closer inspection, twelve of my tee shots went right – drawn or straight right (as a left-hander) with only two going to the left.
Considering I’ve ‘fought’ a fade for years after playing too much cricket, this was a big shift!
When this result is also put into the context of the swing and set-up changes I’ve been working on, this was a distinct improvement.
But I wouldn’t have spotted it unless I’d replayed the round later in my head, when I had some time/distance on it, to be able to review it from a helicopter perspective as just a neutral observer.
This has led me to want to experiment a bit more with my ball position at set-up to see if this corrects the over-left bias that showed up.
I’ve now realised that performing ‘a review’ of the working day in my business life, also leads to a better understanding of performance I learn from my mistakes.
I’d encourage you to experiment with a delayed review of your round after a few hours, you might be surprised too.
If we are not prepared to change things, I’m reminded of the well-worn phrase…
….Food for Thought?
By Steve Sharpley (Business Coach aka The Business Golfer) and author of Success Is a Mind Game!
