Playing golf with business colleagues and clients can be a lot of fun, but it also presents some unique challenges. Playing golf with people you don’t know well or playing golf at all for the first time can be intimidating. The following are some golf tips to help prepare you for your next round of golf with those important business connections!
Nobody else cares how you play
This is a brutal reality, but well worth remembering. When you play bad golf it can feel like the end of the world. However, the only person who cares how well you play golf on a business outing or with new contacts is YOU. Your game might be better than other people’s but that doesn’t matter in this setting.
This is all about having a great day out whilst learning more about your clients and colleagues. Just consider, would you prefer to spend four hours with a great golfer who has no personality, or a poor golfer who makes the day incredibly fun and engaging?
Warm-up or lower your expectations
Few golfers will be on the driving range for more than five minutes before teeing off or heading to the golf course. Either they are keen golfers who come unprepared or bad golfers with good intentions!
The first thing you should do is get warmed up – it will make your game better. If you haven’t got time then use the first few holes to ease into your game, avoid wildly swinging your driver on the first tee. Pick easier shots and use the clubs you feel most comfortable with. This will help build confidence and allow you to grow as the round continues.
Conservative targets, cocky swing
A common mistake beginner and club golfers make are aiming directly at the flags, whereas professional players often pick easier targets, despite their superior ability. One of the simplest tips for playing better golf is to aim for the middle of every fairway and every green – so simple, yet few golfers take this advice.
Safer targets present less challenge and allow you to make more positive swings, resulting in better golf.
Make good contact for straighter shots
Golf can sometimes seem like a mystical game, but if you hit the center of the clubface then 90% of that mystery will disappear. If you want to get better at hitting the ball, then make sure your club head meets the ball correctly, even if this means sacrificing a little speed.
A top tip for mastering your ball strike is this – hold your finish until the ball lands and stops rolling. A balanced finish will ensure you were balanced at impact, which greatly increases your clubhead’s chances of finding the golf ball. No fancy golf training aids needed, just good old common sense.
The power of a practice swing
Some golfers worry about having a practice swing, they feel it may slow down everyones’ game. However, aim for one practice swing before every full shot, chip or putt. This simple action prepares your body for what you are trying to do and often results in a better shot and quicker play.
Your practice swing doesn’t have to be perfect, even a poor practice swing will allow your body to dial in on what is needed. This should help with accuracy as well as speed and distance control.
Should you worry about winning?
You may be wondering if you should let a client or colleague beat you at golf. Whether that is the case or not, it’s important to make sure the game is played in a fun spirit. Your fellow players may, or may not, remember the score in a year, but they will certainly remember if they enjoyed their time with you. Again, focus on how your interact, rather than how well you play.
Summary
These are just a few quick ways to help you be more successful on the golf course. Get out there, swing smooth, pick some easy targets and most of all have some fun.
