guide to better golf
10 Very Simple Thingamajigs
For Playing a Very Tricky Game
Plus a few extra bits and bobs,
Just in case the game
Gets especially tricky
01 Pick a Spot. Hit it There.
That’s the game plan—
your recipe from start to finish.
Simple? Absolutely.
Simplistic? Not a bit.
Because picking a spot isn’t just, er, picking.
It’s giving your body something to do.
It’s how a swing gets it’s marching orders—without shouting.
So pick it carefully.
Then swing like you mean it.
02 see it. feel it. do it.
This is what’s next—
Your strike recipe.
Picture your shot.
Not just how it flies, but how it lands and rolls.
That’s intention—powerful stuff.
Then feel it—
How your body moves. How your arms follow.
Don’t force it. React to it.
And then … do it.
No more thinking. Just trusting.
03 ONE THOUGHT. that’S ENOUGH.
Too much thinking makes a mess.
So before your shot, pick one thing.
A target. A feel. A word like “soupy” or “spice.”
And then … let that be enough.
Not five things. Not three.
Just one.
(Quite enough for any brain, really.)
It’s not about shutting your mind down—
Just giving it something kind to hold.
04 ONE SHOT AT A TIME.
Bogey behind you? Forget it.
Great shot? Lovely—but it’s done.
The only shot that matters is the next.
Play that one well.
Then the next.
Golf isn’t played in piles.
It’s one singular moment at a time.
One shot. One thought. One swing.
Then move on.
05 BE CURIOUS. NOT CAUTIOUS.
You can never really tell—
When it comes to golf.
Sometimes your best swing lands in a divot.
Sometimes a terrible swing hits the green.
Be curious about what happens—
But don’t be afraid.
Fear tightens. Curiosity opens.
Ask: “I wonder what this shot will need?”
Then go find out.
06 SLOW IS FAST … YES, REALLY!
Fast swings get tight.
Tight swings hit trees.
Start slow. Swing smooth.
Let the club do the work.
When you don’t rush—
You give everything time to fall into place.
Even the ball.
The river knows this.
There is no hurry. You’ll get there anyways.
07 SAY SOMETHING NICE!
Tell yourself something nice.
Not about winning. Not about proving.
Just a quiet reminder
You’re braver than you believe.
Stronger than you seem.
Smarter than you think.
You’ll know what to do. Trust yourself.
You are enough.
Your words matter—
Especially the ones no one hears.
08 PLAY IT SMART (SKIP THE HEROICS!)
Golf isn’t about being bold.
It’s about being wise.
When you’re in trouble,
Don’t chase the miracle—
Just find the smartest way back.
Pick spots that set up better ones.
Play to the wide—not wild—side.
Lay up if you must.
A hero’s not the one who swings the hardest.
It’s the one who knows not to.
09 START RIGHT, SWING RIGHT.
Set up well—
And the swing starts itself.
Posture right. Feel balanced. Grip gentle.
That’s how you tell your body, “We’re ready.”
Then take it back light—not lazy, but loose.
Big parts lead, little ones follow.
You don’t have to swing hard—
Or Heaven forbid … harder.
Just swing well.
10 POST ROUND, REMEMBER THE HONEY.
Important thing is to enjoy—
And not worry too much.
Not every shot will be good.
Not every bounce will be fair.
But if you played with care,
and swung with heart—
That’s a round worth remembering.
Find the one thing that went well.
Let that be your honey.
Take it with you. Leave the rest.