The Instant Gratification Trap and Its Negative Effects on Performance

Bad shots in Golf

Do You Seek Instant Gratification or Trust the Process?

Do you become frustrated when you don’t see results immediately with your golf practice?

Sometimes, golfers expect too much, too quickly. These golfers believe increased efforts in practice will have an immediate impact on their scores.  

For example, a golfer spends a lot of time working with a putting coach to improve his putting.  

At the beginning of the season, he expects to improve putting on the course with more effort on the putting game. However, it takes time to ingrain the new changes to replace the old habit.  

Or a golfer spends more time on the range to improve technique. She expects the changes will lead to better score right away but sees performance dip in the short term. Seeing improvement requires a high degree of repetition.  

As a matter of fact, motor learning experts would say that it takes 30-60 days of 30-60 reps a day to see the swing changes take hold.  

The expectation of immediate improvement often causes golfers to give up on their efforts just when improvement might take a couple months of dedicated practice.  

Improvement requires effort but also patience. You will see the benefits of your work as long as you trust the process and understand how long it takes to make changes.  

What does it mean to trust the process?  

Trusting the process means focusing on improving your game over time. Improvement, of course, requires effort and focus.

You want to understand that there is no such thing as an overnight success.  

Elite golfers are successful because they are committed more to improvement than immediate lower scores. The results will take care of themselves when you work on your game.  

For progress to happen, you must be patient, persistent, and trust that your work will eventually pay off.

When you have a growth mindset and the patience to persist, you will be more equipped to handle disappointment. In addition, when you adopt an improvement mindset, you will stick with the process.   Patience is not just a virtue but an essential element to success.  

Trusting the Process:  

Success requires a goal and a practice plan on how you will reach your goals.  

However, success in golf also requires patience. If you do not see improvement, you can evaluate or alter your plan, but you want to be persistent with the plan.  

At every turn or lose, stay focused on having a growth mindset instead of questioning your fortitude to stick with the plan.


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