Your Goals for 2007

**iacas** · 06:52 pm

Please post your goals for 2007 in this thread.

Let's keep the side-chatter to a minimum here as this thread should be the place where we can all list our goals and check on our progress. Updates as to our progress should be in their own thread. Let's just LIST our goals here, please.

Addendum: I would encourage a few of you to edit your posts to be far more specific. List actual goals. "Improve my putting" may be fine, but by what amount? How will you know if you reached your goal? And why list just ONE goal when you can have several? Go ahead and edit your posts if you'd like - I encourage it. If you're serious about improving, you have to be SERIOUS about your list of goals.

**iacas**

I'm borrowing heavily from my 2006 list, but when you get to this point as a low handicap, improvements are small.

Practice more. I'm replacing "play as much as possible" with this weakly worded goal. I should find a range I like closer to my home, because even though my country club is very nice, the range is very sandy (wears out clubs quickly, scratches them, isn't much like hitting off actual fairways). We also have no short game area, though supposedly one is being built.
Reduce handicap index to 2.9 or lower. I was close last year but I think that some of the changes I made last year are beginning to cement themselves. Some of my previous "fallback flaws" are no longer fallback flaws, so I think I'm ready to move forward.
Mentally commit to every shot prior to hitting it. Shots inside of 1 foot excluded, of course. I didn't even come close to meeting this goal in 2006, but I got better. As I said then, this will be the toughest goal, bar none, to meet because it's too easy to just step up and hit a shot right after joking around with the guys and not pay much attention.
Eliminate the "bad shot." Once per round I'll hit just a horrid bad shot - a topped 3W that goes ten feet, whatever. I don't know many single digit handicappers that do this and it just about wastes an entire shot on every hole. So, eliminating this shot - whatever the cause - will save a stroke per round all by itself. I think the fix might actually be the goal above it.
Work on the short game. Stop using the lack of a short game practice area as an excuse. Make the time to practice the short game on the course.
Improved my lag. I'm leaving some distance on the table. I make good contact but could improve my lag a bit to get a little more distance. 155-yard 7-irons may be "okay," but they're not where someone of my caliber should be. Any course of 7000 yards is quite long for me.
One round in the 60s. Last year I shot my first ever sub-par round. I was using an old Bullseye-type putter to try to fix a flaw and mis-hit two really long putts, resulting in three-putts that I would have two-putted had I been using a modern putter with higher MOI. So that right there is a 69 I left on the table. This year I want to actually achieve it.
Some stats: Score (avg): 76, FWY: 60%, GIR 60%, Total Putts: 30, PPGIR: 1.8, PPMGIR: 1.4.

As last year, I want to continue to progress.

*Lbob*

Great idea for a thread! My goals:

Break 80 three more times, including once on a course that in my bete noire.

Shoot 9 holes in par.

Get my putting improved. Curreently at 36.6 putts per 18 holes. I need to get that down to about 30-32.

Improve my up-and-down's. Only averageing 1.2 want to get that over 3.

I don't need a resolution to practice more. I love to practice. But I think I need to practice smarter and structure the practice sessions more especially with the short game. Not sure how.

*Naruto*

OHHH...i dont know...maybe i will learn how to PUTT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD....

phew.. i feel better....

dear santa clause...please bring me a decent putting stroke...thanks

*aquacooled*

Really spend the time and work on my iron play. Unlike erik we have a good short game area, but a driving range with just mats.. I hate those mats..

*Naruto*

THAT'S really my only goal...putt well...or at least better...play some collegiate golf at CofC if I'm lucky....maybe get butch harmon to teach me to hit the ball better than tiger....then take 20 majors over the next 10 years....

so i'd better putt very well over 2007

tonethebone

there are some hard core golfers out there.. be that as it may, i have a simple goal for 2007...

enjoy the rounds i play with my friends, without getting too nuts, because unless i really want to be a scratch golfer again( oh what a pipedream) we should all have a goal to have more fun, work less, throw your cellphones in a pond, and play in some crazy formats, to spice up the year.

seriously... it would be nice to have a short game that resembles my other skills, 'cause if i could get chip or pitch better, my handicap would be around a 6 or 7....

the only solid part of my game day in and out is putting. everything else needs work, but with 2 kids and a business to run, i'll settle for good friends, some laughs, a poker game in the grill room, and peace and quiet from my job.

i hope all of you stay healthy and have a wonderful christmas with your families

*CusePhil*

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonethebone

there are some hard core golfers out there.. be that as it may, i have a simple goal for 2007...

enjoy the rounds i play with my friends, without getting too nuts, because unless i really want to be a scratch golfer again( oh what a pipedream) we should all have a goal to have more fun, work less, throw your cellphones in a pond, and play in some crazy formats, to spice up the year.

seriously... it would be nice to have a short game that resembles my other skills, 'cause if i could get chip or pitch better, my handicap would be around a 6 or 7....

the only solid part of my game day in and out is putting. everything else needs work, but with 2 kids and a business to run, i'll settle for good friends, some laughs, a poker game in the grill room, and peace and quiet from my job.

i hope all of you stay healthy and have a wonderful christmas with your families

I like that goal, and mine is very similar. I want to have fun. I play to have fun, and I want to keep it that way. I'd rather be a weekend duffer having a blast, than one of those guys that has to shoot well or win money to enjoy himself. I can take a couple extra strokes on the scorecard as long as I am having a good time.

**NCGolfer**

Here they are:

Become a good putter - I did not putt well this year. All of my putting stats dropped this year. Some of it is mental, but some are bad habits. I'm working hard on grooving a more "Utley" style of putting and it has felt good. Part of this goal is to spend more of my practice time on the green.

Keep the swing simple - Later in the year I threw a lot of stuff out the window with my swing and just simplified things. I think (again) it was more a mental issue than a physical one. I don't care...it seems to work. I think If I spend less time on the range it may actually help because I tend to overthink and go into paralysis by analysis.

Win Club Championship - I won it two years ago and there are a bunch of players coming to the club that are very, very good so it will be even harder this time around.

Play more - I had an addition to the family mid-year which didn't help the golf game much. I didn't spend enough time on the course...it was mostly practicing. I have to commit to playing at least once a week during the spring and summer.

Play and do well in US Am Qualifier - I'm not delusional. I know it would take my best round to qualify, but there is a local qualifier for the US Am that I've played in before that I'm probably going to get in again. I'd like to have my game peaking at this time...and not embarass myself.