2022 Goals

I’ve never really sat down at the beginning of the year to come up with my golf goals for the year. I thought this was as good as any time to start. When I started jotting down my ideas, one of the items was to start consistently post to this blog. Why not turn my goal setting into a post?

I’ve been interested in the concept of process oriented goals for some time. The basic idea is that rather than setting a goal to achieve some particular end state (i.e. breaking 80, getting your handicap down to single-digits), you should instead focus on the habits and behaviors that are likely to lead to achieving these goals.

One problem with traditional goals is that things can happen that are out of your control that can stand in the way. I’ve struggled with injury problems in recent years, and it’s entirely possible that could happen again this year. There are also the standard sorts of things that can affect any “middle aged” person with a career and a family. I’m fortunate in that I’ve been able to work from home since Covid hit, and the lack of a commute has given me much more time and energy to be able to play and practice. If we get recalled back to the office though, or if things generally got crazy at work, this could certainly impact my play/practice time. This could turn an otherwise achievable traditional goal into something unobtainable.

Ultimately, my goals are to improve as much as I can, given all of the constraints on my time, my fiances and my body. With that in mind, here are my process oriented goals for the year.

Physical Training

Ever since herniating the lumbar disc in my back a year and a half ago, I have done a good job of being consistent with my core strengthening routine. I have not been as consistent with my general fitness training. I had some periods where I would ramp up my strength training, only to overdo it and end up having to take an extended period off. I also had some periods when I simply wouldn’t train enough. For 2022, I plan to emphasize consistency over intensity. I will be much better off at the end of the year working out less intensely but without injury. There are some fitness incentives offered through my workplace, so I will log my workouts in that system to make sure that I earn the tiny bonuses that they offer. I will also post my workouts to this blog for extra accountability.

Technique Consistency

For several years I’ve had a tendency to try and make significant changes to my technique in a pretty haphazard manner. I’d have a bad round, then decide that I need to start swinging the club completely differently. I will be much better off at the end of the year if I just stick with one swing technique and focus on getting as consistent as possible with it. I always seem to come back to a Hogan style swing, so Hogan it will be.

Drills

Regardless of how much I’m able to actually get out on the course, I should be able to do drills every day. Throughout the day I can easily step over to the open area of my home office, pick up a club, and work on my backswing and transition, roll some putts, etc. Since I’m going to stick with one swing technique, it should be that much easier to ingrain some good swing habits through repetition.

Short Game Practice

Logistically and financially, it’s a whole lot easier for me to work on my short game than my long game. I have a net setup at home, but not being able to see the actual ball flight is a problem. My course doesn’t have a driving range, but it does have a practice green. Even if I just have a 40 minute window, I can drive there and get in a 20 minute practice session. My goal for 2022 is to go to the course and get in two short game sessions per week, weather permitting. There is snow on the ground as I write this, so no chipping and putting for a while. I will certainly make an effort to work on my long game when I can, but if nothing else, I can certainly put in the time to get my short game on point.

To track this, I will include a weekly summary of my practice sessions in my posts.

Mental Game

While I can’t control the outcome of any particular shot, one of my intentions for the year is to play as smart as I can, and to try and play with freedom. By smart I mean that will do my best to always play the correct shot. By freedom I mean that I will always try and play without fear. For example, the drive on the 17th hole on my course is very narrow and I often find myself dreading the tee shot, even though there is literally nothing at stake. The worse that can happen is that I make a bad score on the hole, which in the grand scheme of things, really isn’t that bad.

To track this, I will make it a point to detail any rounds that I play in my weekly posts, including a photo of the notes that I take during my rounds.