Successful people keep journals.
That’s a bit of a sweeping statement and you could probably also say that “not all successful people keep journals”.
I think you should start keeping a golf journal. Here’s why;
At some point you will hit form, find a purple patch, score your best, win the money. This may last for 1 round or a few weeks but it won’t last forever.
That’s not being pessimistic, it’s just the way it is. Your golf game will hit highs and lows so we work to try and make it more consistent.
But if you’re looking for a scientific reason why a golf journal can dramatically improve your game, it’s because it ticks what psychologists call the “ABC of change.”
Here’s how:
A = Affective: the journal primes you with quotes and feelings.
B = Behavioral: the journal makes it easier to recreate the physical.
C = Cognitive: the journal trains your mind to focus on the positives and retain feelings and movement.
History is littered with examples of successful (and unsuccessful) people who kept daily journals, ranging from Marcus Aurelius to Winston Churchill. Personally, I was inspired to use a journal from reading Tim Ferris (4hourworkweek).
The best athletes in the world all have one thing in common; they systematically train and try to improve the technical, tactical, physical and mental factors associated with their sport. There is a constant need for them to pay attention to results (in both training and competition) and their coach’s comments, as well as to monitor subjective feelings of well-being and focus. The most efficient and effective way for an athlete to monitor and track their progress is through the use of a training journal.
You can use a journal in many ways. From a golfing point of view you could use it for goal setting, logging scores and stats from play on the course, lesson notes and, my own preference, keeping a log of practice sessions.
Here’s an example from my own journal, which I keep in notes on my phone:
24/7 up, swing. Keep lower quiet
25/7 mega light grip pressure. Weight of club in backswing. Throw weight through ball.
28/7 on course. Grip pressure. Weight of club. Throw/release (don’t pull on club). Same with short game
30/7 on course. “I’m just not doing anything to it (downswing)”
Feel the Arc with driver (backswing)
These are taken from a period when I was striking the ball really well so when my ball striking is not as good I look through my journal notes to a time like this.
Getting that ‘feeling’ back in my swing is so much easier and quicker by using the journal as I can remember better how it felt to hit the ball well from seeing it written down.
Why not copy and paste all of your lesson notes into one place and combine them with notes on your practice sessions too?
neal granville golf 