I’d like to dramatically simplify your golf game.

I think we’ve become too focused on the swing and the myriad positions and movements we create. There are too many tips, too many analysts, and too many so-called Gurus telling you how to swing the club. It seems we’ve lost sight of the end goal and what we are trying to accomplish.

The solution to simplifying your game, removing all the clutter and confusion, and bringing fun back to your game is to adopt a performance-based approach.

I’ve been talking a lot lately about Performance Based Golf for one reason: It’s the most effective approach I’ve found to make lasting improvement to your game.

Watch the video to see an explanation of performance based golf from one of my seminars.

Performance Based Golf

Performance based golf is the approach that helped me win a second World Long Drive Championship title – nine years after the first one, and coming back from rotator cuff surgery.

It’s what I call a “top-down” approach.

It takes a page from Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” and his second habit: Begin with the End in Mind.

The benefit of beginning at the end is that you know where you are going. You know what the outcome should be. It enables you to be proactive and to take control of your game.

Golf Made Simple

Plus, it’s simpler.

Here’s what I mean, and how simple it really is.

In the end, no matter what changes you may be trying to make to your swing, there are only four “ends” you can improve.

That’s it! Just four.

Once you know what these four outcomes are it is relatively easy to evaluate your performance against them. Either you are improving these performance measures, or you are not.

Once you begin to measure your efforts based on how well they improve performance, your job becomes much easier.

Here are the four critical performance outcomes:

• Center Contact
• Directional Accuracy
• Distance Control
• Shape Control

Keep The Main Thing the Main Thing

In the video I mention the 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle) and how you can use it to help you focus. 80% of your improvement will come from 20% of the game.

Turns out that is very similar to Covey’s third imperative: Put First Things First. Or as Yogi Berra would say, “Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing.”

How would that apply to your game?

Are you spraying your driver all over the course?
Don’t fix your swing. Look at one of the four “ends” – your Center Contact. How often do you hit it in the center of the club face?

Missing greens on your approach shots?
Work on your Direction. How often can you land a ball within the width of a green?

3-putting the greens?
Work on your Distance Control. How often can you lag a putt inside a 3-foot circle?

My Long Drive Performance Metrics

When I was preparing for the Worlds I paid attention to just two performance measures:

• My Smash Factor (which told me how well I was making center contact),
• and my Ball Speed.

EVERY swing change and equipment tweak I made was evaluated based on how well they improved these numbers.

It wasn’t guess work.
And guess what? It works!

I encourage you to take a look at your game and begin to evaluate the results based on these four performance measures. It’s the next evolution of teaching golf, and you are on the cutting edge.