Those who enjoy it can also learn from mistakes

The more you enjoy it, the deeper your learning

On days when things don't go well, I remember these words.
Even in the midst of frustration, there may well be small insights hidden that lead to the next step.

A quiet twilight falls over the practice range.

The sound of hitting the ball echoes on the mat.
Clink, clink, clink.

The sound of hitting the ball echoes dryly on the mat.
The lights gradually turn white, and the net beyond the hitting bay melts into the orange sky.

In my palms, the rough feel of the grip.
Under my feet, the slightly hard sensation of the artificial turf.
When I take a deep breath, there is a faint scent of damp grass mixed in.

"Ah, I love this time."

Even as I think that while swinging the club, at some moment, I suddenly realize.

Oh.
Today, I'm not hitting it at all.

I've been making the same mistake over and over.

The ball doesn't fly in the direction I intended.
The face is open.
My body is lunging forward a little.

Even though I think I understand it in my head, my body won't follow.

It's frustrating.
And, I feel a little anxious.

"Am I really making progress?"
"Maybe I don't have any sense for this."
"Will things ever change if I keep going like this?"

Such voices quietly emerge in my mind.

These are words I often hear from people who have just started golf.
But to be honest, I sometimes feel the same way even now.

Even as an instructor, there are days when I feel lost.

In golf, there are important fundamentals like the grip and stance.
But on the other hand, if you look at professional golfers' swings, there are truly many different forms.

The way they use their bodies, how they generate power, and their rhythms are all different.
They might look the same at a glance, but when you look closely, each one is different.

That is precisely why I think about this often during lessons.

What kind of approach would truly be easy for this person to continue?
Where is the entry point where this person can feel like they have 'succeeded'?
Where is the path to enjoying golf without coming to dislike it?

The practice methods and movements used by professionals or competitive golfers do not necessarily suit amateur players who enjoy the game once or twice a week.

What is important is not to force them into a mold, but
to work together to find the 'feeling of swinging comfortably' that exists within that person.

The look on the student's face

I once had a student who had been struggling with a slice for a long time.

No matter how many times they practiced, it would curve to the right.
The more they tried to fix it, the stiffer their body became.
And then, during a lesson one day, they said this quietly.

'I think I might not be enjoying this anymore.'

When I heard those words, my heart ached a little.

So, that day, I set aside the talk about detailed form for a moment.
Instead, I decided to ask this:

'Was there any part of that last shot that felt good?'

At first, they couldn't really come up with an answer.

But as they hit a few more balls,
'That one felt a little good on the follow-through.'
'That one didn't hit well, but I feel like I didn't tense up.'
They started to express themselves little by little.

Then, strangely enough, their expression began to change.

Even with a mishit,
'Oh, I think I understood that one a little bit,' they started to say with a smile.

From that day on, their swing gradually became more relaxed and free.

It wasn't that they enjoyed it because they could hit well.
I believe that because they started looking at it with an eye for enjoyment, their realizations increased.

'The more you enjoy it, the deeper your learning'—the meaning of these words

I also felt this keenly when I was working as a trainee at a golf course.

At the time, I was aiming to be a tour pro and was practicing desperately every day.
Hitting balls from morning till night, playing rounds, and then practicing again.

Somewhere along the line, I had started to feel that time was 'grueling'.

Of course, I was serious.
But deep down, I also felt pain and impatience.

At that time, I had the opportunity to hear from top-tier athletes.

What surprised me was that despite the amount of practice they put in, there was no sense of them 'trying hard'.

Rather, there was an atmosphere of
'I'm doing this because it's fun'
'I'm hitting because I want to know more'
that kind of vibe.

At that moment, I felt like I understood a little bit.

People who truly learn deeply are not just forcing themselves to push their limits.
I want to know. I want to try. I want to feel.
That feeling is what naturally carries the body forward.

When you become too desperate to get better, your body tenses up and stiffens.

But when you try to enjoy it, your whole body relaxes just a little.

In that moment of relaxation, awareness enters.

'Ah, this is the feeling'
'It's easier to swing when my center of gravity is here'
'The feel of that hit was different from before'

A difficult day is not just a painful day.

If you change your perspective a little, it becomes a treasure trove of discoveries.

There is only one thing I want you to try starting today.

At the end of your practice,
'the one shot that felt best today'
try to recall it.

It doesn't have to be a nice shot.

A shot where you were a little more relaxed.
A shot that sounded good.
A shot where just the follow-through felt good.
A shot where, even if the ball's trajectory was bad, a good sensation remained somewhere in your body.

Take just that one thing home with you.

You don't have to fix everything.
You don't have to understand everything.

'I understood this a little bit today'

That alone is reason enough to have come to the practice range.

As I leave the driving range at night, there is one star in the sky

On my way home, I happen to look up at the sky and see a single star shining in the twilight.

Even on days when things don't go well, I feel like something a little fun is waiting beyond that one shot.

Golf might not just be a journey to get better.

You realize things while having fun.
While failing, you encounter your own senses.

I think it is a journey of such discoveries.

Even if today's practice didn't go as you hoped—that is perfectly fine.

The next shot will surely be something to look forward to a little.

What is a "fun moment" for you?

When you are playing golf, what are the moments when you think, "Oh, this might be a little fun right now"?

Whether it's a nice shot, walking through the green, or having a coffee after practice. Please let me know in the comments.