Do you hit the ball inconsistently? This is Why Golf is so Hard!

One of the most common statements we hear from golfers is “I hit the ball so inconsistently!”. Why is golf so different than other sports? Golfers can be very consistent for several weeks in a row, and then all of a sudden start playing poorly. Why does this happen? In today’s article we will answer this question.

Since 1984, China has won 40 Olympic gold medals in the sport of diving. Chinese divers are the best in the world because they are very disciplined. The sport of diving is also conducted in a controlled environment. It is always indoors, the height of the platform is always the same, the requirements of a good dive never change. Divers practice the same dive thousands and thousands of times until they master it. However, if one uses the same approach to golf, they will not succeed. Here’s why:

Golf is a game that changes every time you play. For example, golf is played outside. The weather can be sunny or rainy, cold or hot, windy or calm. All of these elements will affect every shot you take. Every day the location of the tee markers and flagsticks change. You can play the same golf course every single day, but every single day you a provided a different challenge.

Sometimes golfers practice hours every day on the driving range. But the driving range is a controlled environment. Golfers hit balls on a flat driving range with no slopes. But the golf course is very different, it is full of slopes on every hole! Sometimes the ball is below your feet, sometimes the ball is above your feet. What happens if your ball is plugged in the bunker? What happens if it buried in deep rough? All of these scenarios require the golfer to use their brain and analyze how to hit the shot for that particular condition. Only through years of experience can one develop the knowledge of how to hit all these different types of shots.

Sometimes we hear golfers say…”If I hit 1,000 golf balls every day for 10 years I will become a professional golfer and play consistently.” But this is never the case. We can look at the best players in the world as an example. Sometimes tour professionals can miss many cuts in a row and then one week they find their rhythm and win a tournament. Playing inconsistently is actually very normal and learning to accept this is part of the process in becoming an elite level golfer.

The goal with today’s article is to encourage our students and parents to remember that the sport of golf is one of the most challenging in the world! It is a game that needs many years to develop and if you are playing inconsistently one week or even one month, don’t be discouraged. Realize that every golfer in the world has had times where they have struggled with their game. It’s all part of the process. The most important part of the process is working with a golf coach who has a long term plan for your game. The team at Pacific Golf Academy have been coaching elite level players for over 30 years in Vancouver. Do you have a long-term plan for your success?