Things that Separate Great Collegiate Golfers from Average Collegiate Golfers

written by Jon Whithaus

1. Some things that separate great collegiate golfers from average collegiate golfers: How you handle missed greens, both mentally and physically: Mentally, the best players are not bothered my missing greens because they believe in their ability to handle the situation. Physically, when the best players are anywhere within 100 yards of the hole, they get the ball in the hole in 2 shots a high percent of the time. The other percent of the time they get the ball in the hole in 3 shots. They NEVER take 4 shots to get the ball in the hole.
2. Predictable ball flight: Great players always know which way they will curve each shot. The ball flight does not have to be pretty, just predictable.
3. Handling Wind: Great players can control the trajectory of their shots with set-up, club choice and swing speed/tempo. The ball of a great player is rarely at the mercy of the wind.
4. Distance Wedges: Great players are excellent at controlling the distance of wedge shots between 30-130 yards. Great players hit a high percentage of wedges to within 10 feet of the hole. Great players NEVER miss greens with wedges.
5. Picking the correct targets: Great players pick targets that will increase the chances for success on the next shot, without exposing too much risk. After great players pick targets, they 100% trust their decision and executive the shot to the best of their ability. They leave very little (if any) room for self-doubt.
6. Belief: Great players have the belief that they will score very well. Low scores do not surprise them. They are not concerned with mistakes on past holes, because they truly believe in their own ability do well on the next hole.
7. Fitness: Great players understand the need to be fit, strong and flexible. They know that they will not reach their potential without preparing their body. Great players make fitness a priority.
8. Routine and pace: Great players have a routine that is quick, but not hurried. They have practiced and ingrained a routine that allows them to assess the situation and make a decision. The pace of the routine is quick enough that it allows their athleticism to take over and allows little time (or no time) for self-doubt.
9. Handling Setbacks: Great players use setbacks to spur themselves to re-focus and re-evaluate their efforts in order to find a way to succeed the next time. Setbacks are often the catalyst that pushes a great player even closer to their potential.
10. Self-motivated: Great players are motivated to prepare for the opportunity to win. Great players do not need outside motivation from coaches and teammates. They do, however, excel within a team of other great players. Great players gain momentum from other great players.
11. Enjoyment of competition: Great players love to compete. They have fun competing and they rarely show frustration during competition. Great players end each round of golf wishing that there were more holes to play. (Average players are happy to get through a round and get the competition over with). Great players enjoyed the competition so much that they are eager to prepare for the next round and they leave the course in a positive frame of mind. You probably also realize that becoming a great player requires a lot time an individual effort. There are also many other social and work related activities that will challenge your time management. However, never lose site of the priorities that you must maintain to be a successful student and golfer at the collegiate level. There are four parts of your life that must come first: religion, family, academics and golf. The order of these four elements may vary from person to person. Also, the order of these four elements may change for each person based the time of the year. But make no mistake about it, if you want to be a successful student and collegiate golfer; family, religion, academics and golf must always come before social events, video games, etc.