I have a great new article from our mental coach, Kent Osborne. It’s pretty different from the normal end-of-year goal setting articles. Please have a read, and let’s discuss!
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Great article! I believe having regular retrospectives on everything (not just golf) is essential to growth. End of the year is definitely a good time to start doing them though. I also like the concept of “more, less, stop” where you look at what you have been doing and, considering your personal objectives, what you’ll commit to doing more of, less of, and stop all together.
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Wow. Timing is awesome. I just sat down this avo with my golf journal intending to map out my plan for 2021 and winter practice goals, revisit Decade and other learning materials. Thought I’d just check on the forum first…
Great article- really resonates. I’ve got some mental homework to do now. Depending on how that goes I may report back 
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This is a great article…it did leave me wondering though. I honestly can’t remember all of the shots and situations that Kent suggests. Anyone else have that trouble???
I’m not sure if that means I’m:
a. Old and forgetful
b. Not as avid a golfer as I think
c. Don’t take golf as seriously as I thought I did
Thoughts? 
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I absolutely love this. Looks like I too have some homework to do now. What I liked most about this article though is that the primary focus is reliving all of the good shots and putting very little thought into the bad. However, noting that there is bad so that your expectations aren’t unrealistic moving forward. Additionally, thinking of the bad isn’t a time to dwell, but to identify, note, and take away a lesson on how you overcame. This is brilliant. Thank you Jon.
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I wouldn’t stress over that too much, I think if you took the “meat and potatoes” stuff this is a worthy exercise. For example, I can’t remember my best lag putts of 2020 
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Luckily one of my best lag putts of 2020 was on Wednesday! 43’ to within 1’ 
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I completed this exercise yesterday. It was a wonderful way to reminisce about so many positive things I did in 2020 on the golf course. I think it will also help me when I get to play again in 2021 with a reservoir of positive feelings to fall back on.
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I also completed this exercise yesterday. Took me about half an hour and I struggled to remember some of the categories but as I sat there, things came to me. It was great to write those things down. One example of best times with friends
I booked a random 6am tee time on a Tuesday at a course about 25 minutes from my house that I was going to be playing a qualifier at. As I’m walking into the clubhouse, I get called out by my best bud!
My buddy and I live about 45 minutes away from each other. Without realizing it, we both booked a 6am tee time on a random Tuesday morning. I’m walking into the clubhouse and hear “Hey man!” And turn around to see my buddy standing there grinning. Our wives think we’re made for each other. It was a great morning round. Great minds think alike!
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Same here- can’t remember the best rounds exactly, but when I play, I recall the best shots I’ve made in that situation, before I make a shot - like my best tee shot before I tee up, best fairway shot before I make one, etc. Great confidence booster. Still too new at golf to make grand plans for this year, just continuing the ones I have…
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Being able to recall good shots, especially during rounds, is a wonderful talent… It should serve you well!
It’s funny with golf, as you can pretty much ALWAYS have hit a better shot. It’s not a game of perfect, it’s just about minimizing mistakes… probably one of the reasons its so hard.
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Just logged a hole for 2021 memories (best iron shot, best hole)
Played back 9. I’m normally happy with a bogey on 10th. Big ditch in front of green with pond to L. Have to nail your approach else penalty. Hit a solid drive 249y in the cold and mud. Set up for 158y to middle of green. Pin was right in the middle so I aimed straight for it. Striped my iron to about 4’ from the hole. Nervy L-R cross slope putt for birdie.
Shame 11-18 were terrible 
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I enjoyed the original exercise so much that I’ve gone back a written down highlights from specific rounds I remember throughout the year. Gives me something nice to do as I stare out at the snow and long for long summer days
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Really enjoyed the article, as I did with Kent’s earlier one … really good stuff.
Each year I set the same nebulous, loosely-defined goals that I want to “play better” and to “score better”…
eg. break 90, sharpen my short game, no 3 putts, play more, etc, etc.
And each year I do make progress, but very very very incremental progress, it seems…
Anyway… the positive mental imagery is something that I’d also learned in a mental game clinic I’d attended (almost two years ago, now). The idea being as a part of your pre-shot planning to recall a good (great, if you have it 
) shot that you’ve made in the past with the club in your hands for the current shot … recall the sound and the feel of that impact … and let that guide the current shot…
(…or so the theory goes )
As far as learning from a (ahem) “bad” shot, that has become a part of my post-shot routine - eg. swing fault? setup fault? poor club choice? Or just poor execution?
(Note this especially applies to putting.)
How can we learn if we do not learn from our mistakes…??
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