January’s Tip of the Month: PUSH YOUR COMFORT ZONE IN 2024

BY RYAN WILLIAMS PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL

If you will indulge me, I’d like to confide in you all some of the anxiety I had surrounding my wedding. To be clear, I had no doubts or worries about my lovely wife, Emily, but the formality and size of the ceremony was a source of stress in the months leading up to the big day. For some reason, the ceremony itself was the part I was most nervous about and I found myself wishing for that moment to come and go. Fast forward to the moment itself, I was shocked at how calm I felt walking with my mother to the altar and how much I enjoyed standing in front of all our loved ones as we took our vows and kissed for the first time as a married couple. For an extended period of time after the wedding, I felt a calm confidence in every part of my life. It then occurred to me that without the fear associated with the wedding, the wonderful calm I was experiencing would never have materialized. In other words, pushing my comfort zone made me a better version of myself.

Now, how can that be applied to our golf games? Maybe some of you have experienced a new calm while playing a casual round after having played a tournament — particularly if that tournament was on a bigger stage than anything you’ve played in before. For example, I was very nervous for the Cal Cup Matches because I did not want to feel like my place on the team wasn’t justified. After the matches were done, however, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders and it became much easier to enjoy the game and play freely immediately after. Those of you who have had a similar experience probably came to the same conclusion I did:

If you want to improve, you need to put yourself in uncomfortable situations.

The problem with being uncomfortable is just that, it’s hard. However, if you can push through that discomfort, there are a variety of ways to grow as a player:

1. Play with Better Players

As someone very guilty of playing fun golf with players of a lower skill level, the benefit of being around a higher standard of golf cannot be overstated. The quality of conversation about how shots are being played, the sense of purpose and commitment on each shot, the recognition of how to play shots from certain situations, the scoring ability from inside of 100 yards, the confidence, etc. are all things that can be contagious if we set aside our egos. Rather than feeling lesser than the better players, look at those rounds as a lesson. How much can you learn from situation?

2. Compete More

“There are two types of golf: casual and tournament, and the two have very little in common.” Ben Hogan said that because he knew the way he would feel in a tournament round was drastically different than in a casual round. More formal order of play, every putt hitting the bottom of the cup, or keeping a scorecard are all parts of tournaments that can be jarring for those not accustomed.

It’s for this reason that touring professionals often live and play at places that include many of their peers. Whether it’s playing in NCGA events, our Club Championships, or even if it’s just a $5 nassau, I would encourage all of you find ways to compete at the Club more regularly.

3. Introduce Discomfort in Your Practice

Most people use the practice range to warm up or as a source of confidence. They simply want to see the ball fly straight and be struck out of the middle of the face without much simulation to an actual target that may have trouble on one side. The shots are always hit from a perfect lie and are often using the same club for dozens of shots in a row. Again, this is “comfortable practice.” I listened recently to coach who has a 30-minute challenge to his students. The essence of the challenge is for the student to only hit 10 balls in 30 minutes (there is usually at least that much time between shots on the course). Moreover, the student has to change clubs and targets on each shot. Another example would be to play 9 holes up and down from random locations at the chipping green rather than simply repeating the same chip shot. This sort of practice may not be as comfortable but is much more similar to what you will experience on the course.

It’s hard to believe that I’ll be completing my first calendar year here at Woodbridge Golf & Country Club. Please allow me to say how much I’ve enjoyed getting to know all of you. Let’s make 2024 our best year of golf yet.