S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting

Here in the desert we are entering the time of year where golf courses close down in order to plant the winter rye grass.  This is the perfect time of year to set some goals for the upcoming season.

When it comes to setting goals it is important to follow sounds guidelines, such as the ones highlighted in the acronym SMART.

S - Specific

M - Measurable

A - Attainable

R - Realistic

T - Time Based

Specific means that you are focusing on one key at a time and are determined to fix it no matter what it takes.  Jumping around from idea to idea will usually end in frustration.

Measureable means that you have a way to guage or quantify your improvements. 

Attainable means that your goal is something you know you can accomplish. 

Realistic means that your goal is reasonable given your skill level and practice schedule.

Time Based means that your goal must be accomplished by a certain date.

Golfers often set goals that are outcome based goals such as 30 putts per round or a scoring average of 75.0.  While these would be great accomplishments, they are not good goals because the numbers or results are not always within your control.  For example, you may putt beautifully one day but have 5 putts lip out, resulting in 32 putts.  Or you may shoot a 77 on a very windy day.  Both of these would look like failures compared to the goals, but they were successful outcomes given the right mentality.

An example of a SMART goal would be:  "I am going to fix my alignment.  I usually aim to the right of my target, but I am now going to learn to aim straight at my target.  To help me accomplish this goal, I am going to put clubs down on the ground every practice session that show me how to be square. 

Once I can do it properly on the range for 5 days in a row, I will then do the same thing on the course.  After I have mastered the new alignment on the course, I will have my coach observe my aim for 9 holes to be sure that I am always aimed correctly.  My goal is to fix my alignment by November 15, 2010.

This player will accomplish this goal by following the plan.  Conversely, the player might have set a goal to hit 14 greens in regulation every round.  This would be difficult, if he was always aimed to the right. 

Be sure as you set your goal(s) for new season that they are SMART ones and you will see great improvement!

Mike Wilson

Comments

[golf4par]

Love your SMART goal setting Mike. This is so important for young golfers who want to be the master of everything and end up struggling with every aspect of their game. It took me a number of years to come to realize I accomplish a lot more on the range by just bringing a few clubs with me to work on specifics. Great advice!