What Are Your 2022 Golf Goals?

[Dornenglanz]

I made the decision this year to stop playing table tennis competitively, and devote myself to golf.  My goals are:

- Have at least one, ideally two lessons a month

- Practice twice as much as I play

- Play at least one, ideally two 9 or 18 hole rounds a week

- Develop the habit of making factual comments on my shots (ok, that's in the rough of the left hand side of the fairway, about 100 yards further forwards) rather than emotional responses (WTF? That's absolute rubbish! What a shocking shot!)

- Stay cheerful and light-hearted when playing

- Have a golf vacation for a few days

 

Note these are "process" goals, not "outcome" goals.  I learned from my table tennis experience that if you focus on process goals, the outcomes follow.  So I would be delighted if my handicap went down, I would be delighted if my number of putts, or fairways hit, or (n)GIR went up, distance improved etc.  But those are actually side-effects of my goals.

I'll use my swing thread to track these - how many lessons, weekly practice:play ratio, and on the "what did you shoot" thread, I'll mention how I did on cheerfulness and factual comments.

 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

29 minutes ago, Dornenglanz said:

Develop the habit of making factual comments on my shots...

Gotta love that comment, as painful as doing it may be.

[p1n9183]

1. Goals for 2022: Be a +handicap before the end of 2022.
   I'm currently at 1.6 but I shot a -3 index on Saturday that replace a +3,5 so I guess that I will be around 0.8 by tomorrow. (in Argentina the index changes every Thursday)
2. How? working in the weakest areas of my game. Currently I'm struggling with strong crosswinds. As a feel player is hard for me to not overcompensate when having strong winds from both sides. As a fader of irons I'm working on a draw just to use when I have strong winds from the left that made my fade look like a big slice. Because I don't have wind on the driving range, and is not easy to master it on the course, I'm working at my house with a fan to feel the wind on my back or chest (Yes, it sounds odd but it works!). 
   Also I'm working to be a little more consistent in my setup with every club in the bag. 

[tomvk77]

Season is just starting here in The Netherlands i’ve been playing some good rounds lately, so i have high goals set for this year. Some background info.

i am playing of 9.2 now, i was 6.9 when i had a break from golf first 2 years i hardly played and than 3 years of nothing at all. Started playing again mid last year took a few lessons and just started playing mens competition on Wednesday. Hdc went to 12 in the forst few matches, bought some more forgiving clubs and started playing better, resulted near the end in a couple good mid 70 rounds. During the winter time i kept practicing, short game is getting sharper now so my goal will be reaching my lowest ever hdc, 6.5.

[Nyrangers1022]

Breaking 90 consistently.   Which means I have to have a better short game.  Been chipping and putting in my basement all winter.   Went to the range once this winter to work on irons and woods, was actually a good session for not swinging in a few months.   My issues last year was not being able to get up and down for par, or even bogey sometimes, thus running the score past 90

[NoLHere]

To improve my 100 yard and in yardage, and more effort into my putting. Should probally stay away from the beer cart eye candy also.

[Craigers]

• Lower my handicap to <20. I'm hesitant to put a number once I break through this, but will set another goal once I do
• Use a specific practice plan for each practice session. I would rather focus on quality practice than worrying about practicing every day. Practicing every day for the sake of it did not improve my scores in the past
• Learn better course management and apply it. I will finally read LSW and other quality content to improve my management

[jmanbooyaa]

My main goal for 2022 is golf course management. Understanding the course and my swing that day. Too many times I turn what could be a bogey into an utter disaster. 

[Be Still]

On 12/16/2021 at 3:40 PM, iacas said:

Like our 2008 , 2009 , 2010 , 2011 , 2012 , 2013 , 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 threads, here's the official thread for 2022!

The rules are the same as they've been:

1. Post your personal golf-related goals for 2022. Be specific and thorough.
2. Elaborate on how you'll go about achieving these goals. Details, people!
3. Post just once this year in this topic. So, make it a good post. (Though if you reach all of your goals, you should quote your post and revise them later in the year. Then you should set harder goals next year. 😄)
4. Keep the replies to a minimum. This thread is mostly for the posting of goals. If you want to encourage more discussion of your goals, post a copy of them in your Member Swing thread. If you want to discuss someone else's goals in more depth than a few replies, quote them in their Member Swing topic.

If you're looking to recap your 2021 goals, that topic can be found right here.

Let's hear 'em!

---

Remember, please, that good goals should be SMART:

• S - Specific
• M - Measurable
• A - Attainable
• R - Relevant
• T - Time-based

We have the "T" because it's 2022. The rest, well, make good choices.

Awesome, and well wishes to each and everyone on this thread!!  It has a good guide to follow and also motivating.

Not so new here, but just started to partake in a few threads lately.  This one is a good one for me but my start date may be even later- September.  I will lose the time for a right shoulder surgery the second week of April.  My index currently is 11.9 and will probably be rising as the rotator cuff deliver problems in the bigger swings.  Have not played in a month, but I plan to play a few rounds before the day.

I have failed a goal before because I didn't have the "SMART" enough, then health issues began, then more less smart things occurred.  Not an excuse.  It just wasn't smart and I failed is all.

Anyway, if all goes well with the surgery and recovery, I vow to meet and play the same handicap I am in before the end of the year.  I am and 11.9 index today.  That would mean keeping up with a score of around 82-85 at a course I frequently play at to have a chance at it.  But then a couple of high 70s and a couple of low 80s will be falling off as time goes...  so yeah, I know this is another big bite to chew on, but my plan is to keep in as much shape I am in with my lower extremities and whatever I can do with my left upper, together with the physical therapy right after the surgery.  I will only have 3 months when I get the release to do things and I'll have to start small- almost  like a beginner.  Many have told me it is un-doable but the way I see it is different- by starting small and being closed and still through impact on my left side (forward side) will be my starting point.

I'm always with my guys when I go out so they'll see what goes on through the end of the year.  January 1st, 2023 index will be compared with April 16, 2022 indexes.

Why am I trying this?  Because I think it will be a big challenge and a heck of a time doing it through the year 2022, and most of all, this may just be the most positive thing to be doing for the year to keep my mind away from all the craziness our country let alone the world is going through. 

[RetiredOldMan]

1. Consistently shoot below 90 for 18 holes on my home course.

2. Currently shooting 92 to 96 for 18 holes from my home course. (Usually play the Men's White tees. )

3. Should be able to make this goal by not 3 putting and staying in the fairway. Have also returned to conventional golf clubs and irons. 

4. Should be able to make this goal by mid season and then will lower my target to 95. 

I am 75 years old and play several times a week. 

WooHoo! Let's Do It!  

[ejm1994]

My goals for 2022:

1) Take three (2) lessons between now and June 1, 2022. I need to reduce the prevalence of my terrible slice off the tee and become more consistent. 

2) Play three (3) full rounds and (3) 9-hole rounds this year. Part of my consistency problem is simply not playing. 

3) Improve my chipping and putting by becoming more knowledgeable in club selection and situational awareness. I tend to overshoot the green when I am within 50-100 yards. I plan to do this through some short game practice at my local driving range.

4) Break 100 by the end of the year. I typically shoot around 110, so I feel that if I work on the above three goals, I should be able to shave 10 strokes off and achieve this one.

[DoubleAce]

Practice More

Already well on may way here. Couple months back I set up a net in my office. Built myself a stance mat and a really nice divot action hitting strip. Haven't missed a day of at least getting in some swings. Many days I'm hitting at least 100+ balls. 

Play More

I don't even know how many rounds I played last year, but it wasn't many. Life has just gotten busy with a young family. The last round I played was during a men's retreat at the end of last year (shot the lowest score of the day). Was paired with a guy who's part of a regular league, and they invited me to join. So I want to play at least once a week. And should pull that off.

Re-establish a handicap

It's been years since I've had an established handicap. And the last I can recall was in the +1 something range. I have no illusions that I'll be back to that form this year. If I had to guess, I'd say I'm around a 4-6 currently. So I'll set 5 as a sub-goal.

Break Par

Have done it plenty of times. But not within the past 2-3 years. The course I'll be playing weekly is more of a position course. Not all that long. With smart play, it's gettable.

Play a Tournament

Outside of the league, I'd like to play in at least one non-handicapped event. There's an amateur tournament held every year where I grew up. Qualifiers are held at 5 different courses (36-hole events). Top 10 from each move on to a 54-hole championship.  So I think that's the tourney I'll shoot for. Competition can be pretty tight.  So I'd be pretty happy if I made it through the qualifier.

[gerald463]

I want to eliminate the big numbers, keep the ball in play more, and get my handicap below 20 this year. 

[KMP]

My goal for 2022 is simply to try to maintain a smoother and more consistent overall swing. This is a continuation of what I was doing more of in 2021, and could see good results. In order to accomplish this I will use more club if wind, wet, elevation or other factors would require a harder swing. If I am able to achieve this, I will benefit by striking the ball better, reducing mishits and short shots, and being closer to the hole more often with less dispersion.

[tomvk77]

So i am a few months in now, i am progressing slowly on my set goal 6.5hdc. I had 10 q cards so far in our mens competition. Currently still struggling to get a decent round together, i get the 2 blowup holes every round, where i leave 3-4 shots out there, making doubles or triple’s on those holes. Bringing scores in high 70 low 80. Hdc dropped from 9.2 to 8.4 this far. Played a practice round on monday it was a 78 with a double on 10 after a snap hook lost ball off the tee. Was a bit unlucky at times as well, the worst luck i had was on our last hole a par 3 191 yards into a light breeze wind, where i hit a  perfect 5 iron it hit the flag hard and bounced off the green to the left in a horrible place making a bogey there. I didn’t expect the hole in one but i am sure i would have had a birdie putt or at least a par

[tomvk77]

On 6/22/2022 at 10:47 AM, tomvk77nl said:

So i am a few months in now, i am progressing slowly on my set goal 6.5hdc. I had 10 q cards so far in our mens competition. Currently still struggling to get a decent round together, i get the 2 blowup holes every round, where i leave 3-4 shots out there, making doubles or triple’s on those holes. Bringing scores in high 70 low 80. Hdc dropped from 9.2 to 8.4 this far. Played a practice round on monday it was a 78 with a double on 10 after a snap hook lost ball off the tee. Was a bit unlucky at times as well, the worst luck i had was on our last hole a par 3 191 yards into a light breeze wind, where i hit a  perfect 5 iron it hit the flag hard and bounced off the green to the left in a horrible place making a bogey there. I didn’t expect the hole in one but i am sure i would have had a birdie putt or at least a par

So after yesterdays round again an 80. With even worse golf on some holes i had 4 double bogeys. Basically 3 off them came from unplayable lies after a not great tee shot. Had to take a drop on all 3 off them. Other one was a bad swing (shank) that went ob. Due to the new hdc system tho i still lowered my hdc from 8.4 to 8.1. I get 10 shots on my current hdc so i played a netto 70

[Bob M]

On 1/26/2022 at 4:18 PM, Bob M said:

My goals for 2022 are as follows:

1. Break 90 regularly and 85 at least once (I broke 90 in 2021 and was shooting in the low 90s by season end)
2. Average 31 putts per round (vs. 33.7 in 2021)
3. Average no more than one 3 putt/18 holes (vs. two in 2021)
4. Improve GIR to 4 (vs. 1.4 in 2021)
5. Average no more than 4 double bogies or worse (vs. 7 in 2021) per 18-holes.

How I plan to go about achieving these goals:

1. Spending the offseason working hard on putting, focused on "bead" and "speed" (to the extent possible indoors).
2. As soon the putting green opens (probably the second half of March) build a practice routine for green reading and speed as outlined in LSW.
3. Use time in a local simulator facility to work on (i) Driver - improve the quality of contact (get smash to 1.45) and launch angle (to 18*-19*) and (ii) Longer approaches - practice with the clubs at the longer end of the bag (100-160 yds) to improve consistency of strike and accuracy.
4. Work hard on my wedge game developing reliable shots for 30-, 50- and 75-yards in particular.
5. Improve my chipping by practicing various chips with my 58* (high) and pitching wedges (low) and a bump and run (safety) with hybrid. Practice pitching motion shots.   

Three months in, so time for an update. When I wrote these goals, I anticipated that I would be playing from the white tees, but have subsequently moved up to the gold (senior) tees as my average drive is 175-180 (long around 195).

The Good:  I am tracking results using a Shot Scope V3, which for shots gained comparison purposes I use a 15 Hcp (my index is currently 22.8) and as of Friday night's round, my most recent 5 rounds indicated 4.44 shots lost to a 15, down from 5.93 shots lost for the first 5 rounds, for an improvement of 1.49 shots. I am now hitting 4-5 greens per 18 and while moving up tees has clearly helped, the quality of my approach shots from 100-160 yards has clearly improved as well.  Additionally, I am hitting  wedges and short irons with much better distance control than how I ended last season and chipping better as well. I remain distance challenged with my tee shots (hence the move up) but get FIR 50% of the time, with misses generally in pretty good shape.

The Bad:  Putting is actually worse than last season as I'm now averaging 34.4 putts/18 and about 8 holes per 3 putt. My assessment of my problems is that while "Bead" is pretty good, "Read" is only OK (I read the direction of the break correctly, not the amount) and "Speed" is poor.  Will be focusing on drills to improve "Speed" first and then "Read".

Scoring goals: Since moving up tees, I now typically shoot 86-88 so new scoring goal is 82-84 and to break 80. 

[Hugh Jars]

I’ve recalibrated my goals for the rest of the year in recent times. After reading some good books and analysing my stats the main thing I want to work on is getting good with my driver. Ive spent the majority of the year completely neglecting it and playing woods off the tee, but now I can see that if I want to take the next level and achieve my aim of shooting under 90 consistently then I need to get competent with the big dog. I’m now making it the number one focus of my practice sessions.

Edited July 25, 2022 by Hugh Jars