On days when things go well, don't be greedy

“On days when things go well, don't be greedy”

The better you feel, the more you tend to want "just a little bit more."
But that small bit of greed can quietly change the flow of your golf game.

120 yards to go, the green was calling

The course on a June morning still carries a slightly cool air.

The fairway grass shines with morning dew, and there is a soft sensation as it sinks under the soles of your spikes.
You can hear birds in the distance, and the sound of the group ahead hitting their balls drifts faintly on the wind.

120 yards remaining.

The pin is about a third of the way from the front of the green.
The flag is swaying gently.

“I can do this. It’s a distance I can aim for.”

The moment I thought that, tension entered my shoulders without me realizing it.

I regripped the club a little tighter and swung just a little harder than usual.
The impact felt dull, and the ball went to the back of the green. It stopped at the edge of the fringe, leaving me with a difficult approach shot instead of a birdie chance.

Haven't you had an experience like this, too?

The moment you get greedy, things start to go wrong

As you continue to play golf, your sense of distance gradually develops.

“I can reach it from here.”
“I can aim for that spot.”
“I’m hitting it well today.”

It is a very happy thing to be able to feel that way.

But at the same time, there is a small pitfall there.

Because things are going well, you want to get it a little closer to the pin.
You feel like if you hit the putt just a little harder, it might go in.
Even though you intended to aim for a safe spot, you find yourself looking only at the cup or the pin.

When greed emerges, your body changes little by little.

Your grip becomes stronger.
Your rhythm becomes faster.
You change the target you had decided on just before you hit.

The things you were doing carefully until then suddenly become sloppy, don't they?

I myself have succumbed to greed many times.

I hit a putt I thought was a birdie chance too hard, and it went way past the hole.
I missed the return putt and ended up with a three-putt.

Thinking my irons were good that day, I aimed too closely at the pin, only to hook the ball to the left where I shouldn't have gone, leaving myself with a difficult putt or approach.

I have done things like that many times myself.

In the car on the way home,

I've muttered to myself,

more than once or twice, "Why did I have to be so greedy there?"

Even as you get better, people still get greedy.
In fact, greed quietly rears its head precisely when you start to feel a little confident.

What a student taught me

There was a scene that left an impression on me during a round lesson the other day.

Mr. A, who had been playing golf for about half a year.
100 yards remaining.
It was a distance where he could aim for the green with a PW.

When I asked, "Where are you aiming?", Mr. A thought for a moment before answering.

"Is the center okay? Instead of the pin?"

Hearing those words, I couldn't help but smile.

"That is perfectly fine. That is a very good decision."

Mr. A set up, looking a little shy, and the ball landed in the center of the green.
From there, he calmly two-putted for par.

It wasn't a flashy shot.
But it was a very strong one.

There is nothing wrong with having ambition.

What is scary is hitting a shot without realizing you are being greedy.

"I really want to aim for the pin."
"But for now, the center is fine."
"Let's carry the ball to a place where the next shot will be easy."

Just by noticing the greed within yourself once like that, the atmosphere of the shot changes.

The meaning of 'Don't be greedy on days when things are going well'

Let's take another look at today's words.

'Don't be greedy on days when things are going well'

This is not a phrase that means 'give up.'
It also doesn't mean 'only play it safe.'

Let's make the most certain choice among the things you can do right now.

I think that is what it means.

The common thread on days when things go well is not a lack of desire, but a calm judgment.

Whether you can choose the option with a higher probability of reaching the center, even if the pin is close.
'It looks like I could aim for it' and 'I should aim for it' are completely different.

A composed shot does not disrupt your body's rhythm.

Your grip and takeback will also naturally become easier to align.
The probability of hitting the sweet spot also increases.
And on the way home, you can put your clubs away with a somewhat relieved expression.

Creating a day like that might be what 'not being greedy' is all about.

One thing I want you to try starting today

There is one thing I want you to try in your next round.

Even at a distance where you can aim for the green, please think about it just once before you hit.

'Where is a place that is easy to hit from next, even if it's not on the green?'

If the right side is dangerous, the left is fine.
If the back is difficult, the front is fine.
If the lie is on a steep slope, it is also a perfectly valid choice to carry the ball to a place where it is easier to approach next, rather than forcing a shot at the green.

You don't have to choose that plan every time.

Just prepare one 'path that avoids a big blow-up' before you hit.
That alone will create a little room in your heart.

I don't know if your score will change immediately.

However, compared to a day where you push yourself and fall apart, a day where you don't get greedy and maintain your flow will surely make your heart feel lighter on the way home.

Holding the club again amidst gentle scenery

A June evening.

The time when the setting sun hits the practice range net, dyeing it orange.
From the next stall, I can hear the pleasant sound of a ball being struck.

The feeling of your body stretching out naturally at the finish.

"I wasn't greedy today."

Just that thought makes your hands a little gentler as you put the club away.

It's okay if you can't hit it far.
It's okay if you don't land it near the pin.

Each shot that you carry exactly as intended gradually builds trust in yourself.

Let's go together again to the next course and the next practice range.

Do you remember a "shot you hit without being greedy" recently?
If you'd like, please let me know in the comments. ⛳