Journal Entry: Adjusting the Yardstick, Rethinking the Strategy

There's a gentle breeze flowing through the trees as I stand on the 18th tee reflecting on my recent performances and the game of golf itself. I think about yardsticks, yardage books, and my recent change in strategy. It's time to put these thoughts down on paper.

A Better Yardstick, A Better Yardage Book

Yardsticks are for measuring, and in golf, I've come to realize that a better yardstick means a better yardage book. These are not only tools but metaphors for self-assessment and strategic planning. And lately, both my yardstick and yardage book have needed recalibration.

Winter comes with new opportunities but not all equally the same. Dry fairways lead to longer drives. Longer drives lead to a need for recalibrating targets and for others this means the benefits of shorter distances into greens.
For me, this has meant trouble at the landing zone of each shot. Longer has not been necessarily better. Compounded with winter practice hours being shorter by an hour, I’m in the Gym a lot more than I find myself late at the range. So speed and agility mean that my normal distances are longer than I have assumed.

The last few tournaments have been frustrating, to say the least. I've had plans, strategies, and calculations, but they haven't worked out the way I'd hoped and planned. It's been a tough time, but then again, golf is like life – it doesn't always go according to plan.

Playing from the Green Back to the Tee

In my quest to improve, I made a strategic change. Instead of planning from tee to green, I've started playing each hole from the green back to the tee. It sounds simple, but it's a change in perspective that makes all the difference.
Golf is played with the intention to be a sniper, but often even the best players most days only have a shotgun. The idea is to know where to aim the shotgun to have the best chance to hit the target. And should you miss the target, your miss threatens the enemy. In my recent tournaments, I foolishly played for the sniper.

To plan from the green to the tee requires a yardage book. Something I have been pruning and constantly keeping in check. By relying on my yardage, planning each hole better, and taking the time to understand the layout, I have a new sense of control and hope. I've tried this approach in two practice rounds soon to be uploaded on my YouTube channel, and the change is noticeable. It's a method I've used in the past when I have had a few great tournaments. It's time to use it again.

Hope for the Upcoming Tournaments

The upcoming tournaments feel different now. There's a sense of optimism, a belief that this new approach will bear fruit. My yardstick is better, my yardage book is more accurate. I feel aligned and confident in this change because I've seen it work before.

I know golf is a game of ups and downs, but I feel ready for an upswing. I'm looking forward to putting this new strategy on the course and seeing where it takes me.

Adapt, Learn, Implement

As I finish this note and pack up my clubs, I am reminded that golf, like life, is about constant adaptation, learning, and implementation. It's about not being afraid of change, trying new things, and learning from both successes and failures.

Today's reflections have reinforced my belief in my game and my ability to grow and improve. A better yardage, a better yardage book, and a new focus on playing from the green back to the tee – these are the tools I'm taking into the next chapter.

Here's to the next few tournaments and the journey ahead. May the fairways be wide and the greens be clean. And may we all continue to adapt, learn and implement in the great game of life.