Your SMARTER Goal for 2015

[patricks148]

Ha! I just put that as an example of how I broke 80. My best round was a 73 last year.

But for the sake of it - I do believe in measurable goal setting as a way to improve performance - here is one of my goals for this year.

Get handicap below 9.5 before August (3 shot reduction)
- play conservatively, get the ball into good position off the tee, don't assume driver - saves 1 or 2 shots per round
- never play at more than 90%, when you try to power it, it goes wrong - saves 1 or 2 shots per round
- relax - especially that left hand, don't let it grip hard, you play better when it's not tense.
- know your distances, lessons + trackman distance check - saves ?? shots per round

you forgot one!!!

get a bigger Sombrero

 

[John_Findlay]

Been watching some of Peter Finch's videos in his Quest for 350 series, and thought that his use of the SMARTER goal setting technique for his golf game was great, and would be of real use for amateurs looking to improve.

I watched PF's video when it first came out and found it interesting immediately too so set my own goal for the year. Two, in fact, i.e. to average a score of under +8 for the entire year and try to have at least one level par round in there somewhere. Some might disagree with the rather contrived SMARTER acronym but the principal in itself is useful.

Recording progress is simple enough nowadays, especially now that I'm using GameGolf every round. The stats will be useful in identifying where I should be improving to achieve my goals. Last year, I used GolfShot GPS to record just over 30 rounds between June and October and my stats were:-

Average score: 9.17 over par
Fairways hit; 59%
GIR; 52%
Recovery/Scrambling 24%
Putting: 1.87 putts per hole

Now that I've recorded just 6 rounds on GameGolf I see that my stats are worrying similar this year, too.

Average Score: + 9.2
Fairways hit; 58%
GIR; 51%
Recovery/Scrambling 23%
Putting: 1.9 putts per hole

So no improvement so far. So I've set specific ways of improving this year, including taking a monthly golf lesson with my usual pro on the last weekend of every month, interspersing 1 short game lesson with 1 long game lesson and working on my short game and putting on set days every week.

Think it's achievable. Even if I don't.. I think my game will improve overall this year. Ye needs a system. Ye needs a system!

 

[Dan2501]

Good luck mate. Having the stats is going to be so handy for my game too. Means I'll be able to really track my progress, and track my improvements. I've got a block of 5 lessons already booked, which I'll be taking in alternate weeks, and then am planning another 5 after that, so I've got 20 weeks of alternate-week golf lessons planned, and if I get the practice done between lessons, as I intend to, then I firmly believe I should be able to hit my target at some point over the summer. But, as you've said, even if I don't, my game should definitely improve this year, and that's the most important thing.

 

[Jimaroid]

Bump. Setting goals is useless without reviewing them, so how are we doing?

Get handicap below 9.5 before August (3 shot reduction)

There's only 4 weeks to go to hit this target and so far I've only come down 1 shot from 12.1 to 11.1 with a bit of down and up in-between.

Time is getting tight to meet this and I'm feeling a little down about it. I'm simply not performing to my potential. My biggest obstacle was always going to be playing in enough qualifiers this year and I've only managed to play 7 qualifying rounds since they started in March. So looking at it positively I'm probably not doing too badly. The frustration for me right now is that I'm playing well but I know I've left a lot of progress out on the course, for example 3 triple bogies on par3 holes in my last two rounds have completely ruined two great scoring opportunities.

And the less said about the relentless winds we've had to deal with during April and May the better...

Anyway. Happy with my game and enjoying it immensely but I wish I was showing better progress at this point in time. I feel like I can still hit my target if I can just get 3 or 4 consistent rounds together in the next few weeks.

 

[Dan2501]

My goal was to break 85. I've shot 86 3 times and 87 once, it's coming!

 

[TheCaddie]

My goal was to break 85. I've shot 86 3 times and 87 once, it's coming!

Mine is to break 100 and I have hit 100 exactly four times!!! ha ha! IT IS COMING!!!

 

[jamielaing]

Bump. Setting goals is useless without reviewing them, so how are we doing?



There's only 4 weeks to go to hit this target and so far I've only come down 1 shot from 12.1 to 11.1 with a bit of down and up in-between.

Time is getting tight to meet this and I'm feeling a little down about it. I'm simply not performing to my potential. My biggest obstacle was always going to be playing in enough qualifiers this year and I've only managed to play 7 qualifying rounds since they started in March. So looking at it positively I'm probably not doing too badly. The frustration for me right now is that I'm playing well but I know I've left a lot of progress out on the course, for example 3 triple bogies on par3 holes in my last two rounds have completely ruined two great scoring opportunities.

And the less said about the relentless winds we've had to deal with during April and May the better...

Anyway. Happy with my game and enjoying it immensely but I wish I was showing better progress at this point in time. I feel like I can still hit my target if I can just get 3 or 4 consistent rounds together in the next few weeks.

I didn't see this at the time however I did have an aim of my own at the start of the season-

Get cut from 11.4 (start of the season) to a playing handicap of 9 (9.4) by the end of the championships at my club (mid June)- I achieved 9.5 since up to 9.6 so I am behind schedule.

My aims for the season is to get cut to somewhere between 5 and 7 which is ambitious but achievable I think. I want to better my best score of 74 in a medal and have a medal round with no double bogeys. I also want to win a major comp and get my name in the honours list at the club.

What I would say to Jimaroid is hang in there. I was going backwards and then had a couple of good scores which brought me back on track!

 

[Fish]

I had high expectation for this year before my injury, it was going to be The Year of the Fish, sadly an out of control saw put paid to that

However, here's my target in what will now be a shorter period to achieve.

S – Shoot rounds of 90 or less consistently by the end of 2015 (my course is par 73)
M – Round measured using GAME Golf device, taking 90 shots or less in a round of 18 (new laptop req'd)
A – Having already shot 79 in 2013 and mid 80's at my new club, I believe this is definitely achievable
R – and realistic
T – I want to achieve this goal by the end of 2015
E – Breaking circa 88 consistently would show significant improvement as its 6 shots off the current handicap!
R – I'll record my progress via here in the GAME Golf thread and which you can follow at: http://www.gamegolf.com/player/Fish

Watch this space..