Put Quarters in the Jar

I just got off the phone with a player I coach. He is a great kid, smart and from a good family. He soaks up things we talk about like a sponge. Things didn't work out for him like he wanted this year on his college team but he has made great strides. Not necessarily with his scoring average, but with his confidence. It's so important to note that we can't always measure our success or improvement based on what we shoot or whether we make the traveling squad. Golf is about making small steps towards getting better. My dad has one of the best all time sayings, "put quarters in the jar today to take out silver dollars later." It is so true in golf. If we stay the course and work on the small things, the simple things, the things we can control and be the best at doing those things, our confidence will grow and before you know it, you'll be able to withdraw some silver dollars and the scores will happen. I reflect on what I read in Tony Dungy's book, Quiet Strength. He used to say that after a successful season but not quite getting over the hump of the NFC Championship game, there would be murmurs that maybe he needed to change it up and come up with a new or different philosophy. He would always say we just need to be a bit better at the keys he believed in. The key fundamentals that differentiate championship teams from the ones that just fall short. He would say we must tackle better, block better and trust each other a little more. If we do those things just a bit better it will take us where we want to go. When we think about our golf game, it's not always about rebuilding or changing coaches. Let's see if we can make clearer decisions under pressure, be better at dealing with adversity, show more patience and be more carefree. If we can do those things a bit better you will enjoy the game more and the scores will follow. Enjoy the walk...play the game