Taking care with your final shot makes your next round of golf easier

A careful finish makes the next time easier

The final shot might just be the time to quietly put away the day's golf.
A day that ends well might bring good results to your next round.

The twilight course, the silence of the final hole

As the western sky begins to dye orange, long shadows stretch across the fairway.
The scent of the grass takes on a bit of moisture, and a sense of fatigue slowly rises from your feet.

The 18th hole teeing area.

There is a moment when you take a club from the cart and suddenly relax.

It's almost over.

That sense of relief can sometimes make that final shot a bit careless.

I have been teaching golf for many years, and I understand this feeling well.
Even when I am playing myself, as the end approaches, the feeling of 'that's enough' starts to show.

Especially on days when you are tired.
Days when your score didn't go as planned.
Days when you want to get to the bath quickly and have a cold drink.

It is on those days that your swing on the final hole becomes sloppy.

I sometimes think the golf gods are watching just that moment.
It's a bit mean, isn't it?

The weight of 'falling apart at the end'

When I am giving lessons, I often hear these words as students are leaving.

It was a waste, those last three holes.

I was hitting carefully in the first half. The middle wasn't bad either.
But my concentration broke in the final stretch, and I ended up with a big score.

One student was playing the first half in 42.

I might break 90 today.

Just as they thought that, they hit three consecutive double bogeys starting from the 16th.

After the round, that person said with a look of regret.

When I get tired, my mind stops working first. I end up hitting the ball with just my body.

I understand this sentiment very well.

As you get tired, the preparation before your shot gradually fades away.

Skipping practice swings.
Looking at the target only vaguely.
Gripping the club tighter than usual.
Hitting the ball with a 'good enough' attitude.

And then, on the way home, you think to yourself:

Why did I hit it like that on the last hole?

I am the same way.

Even as an instructor who says, 'Let's be careful until the very end,' I sometimes lose my focus on the 18th hole during my own rounds.

When I make a big mistake on the 17th and stand on the 18th teeing area,

'I'm done for the day'

That feeling sometimes creeps in.

But I think what matters is whether or not you can notice it in that moment.

'I'm about to finish this sloppily.'

Once I realize that, I loosen my grip.

Take a deep breath.
Look at the target again.
Start my usual routine over from the beginning.

And then, I whisper to myself in my heart:

'Let's hit this shot as if it were the first shot of the day.'

Just doing that helps my body settle down a bit.

Of course, it doesn't guarantee a nice shot.
But it does reduce the number of sloppy shots.

What a 'careful finish' means

Returning to today's words.

"Ending things carefully makes what comes next easier"

This is not about telling you to "give it your all until the very end."

People sometimes remember their day based on the feeling they are left with at the end.

Golf is a strange thing, too; how you finish the 18th hole significantly changes your impression of the day.

Even if you had a bad score in the middle, on days when you were able to play the last few holes calmly,

"Well, it wasn't that bad."

you might find yourself thinking.

Conversely, even if the first half went well, if you fall apart carelessly at the end,

"Today was a failure."

you might go home feeling that way.

Even though it is the same 18 holes, the scenery that remains in your heart changes depending on how you finish.

That is exactly why I want to finish that final shot with care.

What I learned from a student

I once had a student in her 60s.

She was someone who could only play one round a week, and she always played very carefully.

One day, I noticed something.

After she finished the 18th hole, she didn't head straight to the clubhouse, but instead stood quietly at the edge of the green, reflecting on her putts for the day.

"If I rush the end, I end up coming back next time with a rushed feeling, too."

Those words still remain in my mind.

That person was not the type to hit for distance, and they made their fair share of mishits.
But over the course of about half a year, their scores gradually began to stabilize.

I believe it was because they were building up the feeling each time that they had "finished the day properly."

One thing you can try starting today

What you can try starting today is not difficult.

Just take your final shot on the last hole with your usual preparation.

Take one practice swing.
Check your target.
Grip the club with your usual pressure.
If it's a putt, look at the cup once, look back at the ball, and hit it with your usual tempo.

That is enough.

Instead of thinking, "It's almost over anyway,"

Think, "This is the shot that closes out today."

Try hitting with that mindset.

If you do, the walk back to the clubhouse might feel just a little bit lighter.

When you leave the green at dusk

Pick up your ball from the cup and look back at the course.

The western sky is beginning to change from deep orange to purple.
Your long shadow stretches out over the grass, and the wind has turned just a little bit cooler.

"I did it properly until the very end today."

On days when you can think that, you feel refreshed somehow, even if you are tired.

You start to look forward to next week's golf a little more.

On days when you finish with care, the next time feels lighter.

I believe the same is true for golf and for the small things we do every day.

With what kind of feeling did you hit your final shot today?