Vol. 15 - Setting Goals

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and they got all their favorite golf gear on their wish list. Now that we are now into 2024 I wanted to discuss to topic of goal setting and how this can help us not only reach our golfing goals but life goals as well.

New Years has always been the time when everyone sets out with goals in mind in the form of what we call our New Year’s Resolution. We see people wanting to get into shape, learn something new, grow within their career among many other ideas. The setting of our goals is the easy part. The difficulty comes in sticking with our planned changes to reach out goal. This is where most people fall short and back into their normal routines in typically a few short weeks or maybe months. Some however to continue on with their journey and actually reach their goals. So what are some ways to help us reach out goals.

The first task when setting goals is to make them obtainable and clear. This means not putting a goal so far out of reach that we lose hope of being able to attain our goal. It also means having a clear understanding of what it is you are trying to achieve to know when you have reached your goal. A good example is always with getting healthy and setting the goal of losing a set amount of weight within a set timeframe.

A goal I set for myself back in November was to lose 10% of my weight in 6 months and to also gain 10% distance on my drives. The first thing I did was weight myself and calculate 10% of my weight which at the time meant I needed to lose 21.7 lbs. As for my 10% distance gain my baseline I found what my average carry was with my driver which was 270 and my average clubhead speed which was 109.7. To reach my 10% goal I would need my average carry to be 297 which would put my clubhead speed around the 118 mph number.

Now that I have my goals set and clearly outlined it is time to go to work on them. This meant doing the following things:

1. Getting into the gym. Currently I go 3 days a week with a focus on overall strength and power.

2. Speed training which I also do 3 days a week and do before I go to the gym

3. Watching what I ate but most importantly slowing down when I eat as well as cutting my portion sizes.

For speed training I started with the superspeed golf system which I have used in the past. This is a great system and does a good job of getting your comfortable swinging faster but also teaching you have to move your body faster and they have various products to help you do this. However I felt like I would always plateau with this system and it was the same protocols for each person meaning their was no customization based on the individual. This is what lead me to The Stack System. This is what I will be using going forward and will post on my social about its progress. The Stack System uses and ai based learning app that will customize your training each session to help you maximize your potential. The app also keeps track of your progress which is handy. If you are interested in speed training and the stack system let me know and I would be happy to order one for you.

While on this journey I have learned some things as well as applied some tips to help. This first is which I think many of us know but fail to do when it comes to goal setting. That is actually writing down out goals and putting them in a place that is visible each and every day. The more we see something the more likely we are to behave in a way that pushes us towards what we see. For example if we see the words of our goal each and everyday our natural behavior over time will change in a way that naturally pushes us closer and closer to our goals. This is why I have my goals above my desk which I spend at least some time at each and every day.

The second thing I learned which has been very helpful not just for this journey but also to help with my own golf game. That is the power of visualization. This is something I learned while finishing up my level 3 PGA portfolio. This is an extremely powerful exercise that only takes a few minutes a day. The process I found most helpful is to do two 1 minute visualization sessions.

The first session is to close my eyes and view myself in first person doing what is needed to help my reach my goal. This is very helpful if you are wanting to make a swing change, work on handling pressure or envisioning yourself when you are at your goal. During this minute I focus on what I would feel at my goal, how I would look and also put myself through the motions of swinging the golf club. Another example would be that if you are trying to lose weight you could visualize yourself putting on new clothes or at the store buying that smaller size.

For the second minute I switch from first person and go the third person view of myself. Here I focus on different parts of my body when it comes to speed training and how they move. I also picture myself in the gym going through my workouts as well as what I plan on eating the next couple of days. I have found this really helpful in saying committed to going to the gym as well as continuing the speed training.

The last method I have found that is helpful is actually posting about it. Now for myself some of you have seen my post in on my social which helps keep me accountable. It also allows some of you to help keep me motivated and accountable. When it comes to posting you don’t have to do it on social like I have but writing about it in a journal or in your phone can have the same helpful effects. Also I would find a friend that can help keep you accountable and motivated on your journey.

Whatever you set for your goals for 2024 I encourage you to try these tips I have found helpful and I truly hope you not only reach your goals but exceed them.

Keys To Remember

1. Write down your goals and put them in a place that is easily visible everyday

2. Make a plan on how to reach your goal

3. Visualize your reaching your goals or working towards your goals everyday

4. Find a way to make yourself accountable whether through posting, journaling or having friend to support you on your journey.

If you liked this newsletter please make sure to like my social and subscribe. If you have questions about The Stack speed training system please send me an email at [email protected]

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