Entire books are written on the subject of goal setting. There is a good reason for this. Goals keep you focused on the task at hand and motivated to achieve that task. Golfers who set goals outperform those who don’t. Almost every golfer wants to “get better at golf.” This is a very important general goal! But even general goals need to be specific enough to be achievable and realistic. Start by writing down what getting better is for you. It could be “feeling comfortable so you can enjoy a round with friends”, “winning the clubs handicap flight” or “winning the PGA Championship”.
Since long-term goals are usually more difficult and take a longer time to achieve they will seem more attainable if you set short-term goals along the way to your target. Short term goals should be specific, measurable and time-bound. PGA professional Dave Cahill and Mike Cahill set specific, measurable goals for each student by giving them a clearly understood physical motion to practice, a method for practicing, and goals for ball flight distance, accuracy and trajectory to be practiced before their next lesson.
Dave, while teaching at Palm Springs golf schools, also suggests keeping a golf journal. Taking the time to think about your goal and writing it down will keep you focused during your golf lesson. Keeping track of your progress will give you important feedback and help maintain motivation so you can achieve your golf goal.