Do's & Don'ts

• Watch good players and tournaments. People learn by imitation. When a husband and wife come to me, they often have very similar swings. They’ve imitated each other unconsciously.
• Don’t watch struggling players. You don’t want to imitate their swings.
• Practice.
• Practice on the driving range, in your living room, or even your backyard. You don’t have to leave your home to get quality practice.
• Focus when you practice. It’s much better to spend ten minutes and concentrate on what you’re doing than spend an hour just whacking balls.
• If you’re hitting a bucket of balls, take breaks.
• Think about what you’re doing, and rest when you’re tired and frustrated.
• Don’t wear sun glasses they impair your depth perception. Most professional golfers don’t wear them as a result.
• Don’t give unsolicited advice to your friends when you’re playing golf, and never give unsolicited advice to strangers - - not even if they’re very attractive and you’re sure you can help. It is extremely rude.
• Try walking the course. The tour players always walk. There’s a reason. It gives you much more time to concentrate on your next shot. And it actually improves the speed with which you play.
• Have a professional videotape your swing, then watch it, and analyze it.

Link to the next chapter, The Four Stages of Learning.