Routines Build an Unbreakable Heart

The Comfort of the Evening Driving Range

There is a unique atmosphere at the practice range in the evening.

The sound of footsteps from people coming home from work. The orange-tinted lighting. The dry sound of balls being struck, melting into the night at a steady rhythm.

Sometimes, just looking at that scene makes me feel a little at ease. I made it here again today. Just that makes me feel like another day has properly moved forward.

Going to the practice range at the same time every day. I don't do anything special. I just calmly do what I decided to do.

But golf is a mysterious thing, isn't it? Sometimes, these quiet, steady efforts help you more in the long run than days spent doing flashy practice.

Frustration is the Flip Side of Passion

You hit well yesterday, but today you can't make contact. You felt good at the range, but suddenly things get tough once you're on the course. We all have days like that, don't we?

“Same mistake again.” “Maybe this isn't for me.”

Feeling down like that is nothing to be ashamed of.

In fact, I think it's proof that you are taking it seriously. You feel frustrated because you love golf. Because your desire to get better is genuine.

I have been an instructor for 15 years and have seen many people. Even so, there are still days when I go home from a round in silence. I keep reflecting on it while gripping the steering wheel, thinking, “I tensed up in that situation.”

Even in a position where I teach, my mind isn't always perfectly composed. That is why I would rather be someone who can recover after falling apart than someone who never falls apart at all.

One Fact I Have Seen at the Practice Range

There is something I often feel while giving lessons.

Those who improve are not necessarily the skillful ones. They are not necessarily the ones with natural talent from the start. Rather, those who come at roughly the same time every week and practice in the same way are the ones who gradually get stronger.

One student in her 60s took three years to break 100.

When she started, her driver barely went over 100 yards. Her 7-iron went about 70 yards, and she often hit the ground before the ball on her approach shots. Watching from the side, I know there were many days she felt frustrated.

Her daughter, who came with her, broke 100 in about half a year. She graduated from the school after that, but the woman continued to come just as before.

And then, one day, she quietly said, “I might have become the best in the family,” and laughed.

Ah, I realized that this is what consistency is all about.

Those who are naturally gifted improve faster.
That is certainly true.
But it is also true that those who can keep going will eventually overtake them.

When you let go of perfection, the scenery begins to change

We often find ourselves chasing the perfect shot.
But even professional golfers are said to hit only a few shots a day that they are truly satisfied with.
And we are just friends who enjoy golf in between work and our daily lives.

It is hard to keep going when you have no time.
I understand that feeling well.

That is exactly why I believe routines are what support us.

When you hear the word 'routine,' you might imagine something grand.
But in reality, something much smaller is fine.

For example, try gripping your club at the same time every day.
Swing an indoor practice stick just three times.
Hit only ten balls on your putting mat.

At first, such small habits are enough.

Sometimes you want to find a shortcut because you want to get better quickly.
But it is really difficult to improve by skipping the basics.
Correct knowledge is important. But I believe that what ultimately gives you strength is continuing to practice.

Today's words

"Routines build an unbreakable spirit"

I want to cherish these words even more than technique.

When people hear 'routine' in golf, many might think of the steps taken before addressing the ball.
But I feel that one's daily mindset is even more important than that.

Go to the driving range at the same time every day.
Try swinging at home.
Keep putting on your mat until you sink ten balls.

It doesn't have to be anything special.
Just calmly do what you have decided to do.

As you continue to do that, I feel like you gradually become someone who doesn't break down easily.
It feels like your heart grows before your technique does.

The shot you take today is building the person you will be tomorrow.
I, too, have been saved by that power many times.

The one thing you can start tomorrow

Please take a small step toward something you want to do.

It is fine to start with something that only takes a few seconds.
Routines do not need to be difficult.
The important thing is to make them small enough to become a habit.

Heading back to that green place again

The scent of coffee bought at a convenience store on the way to the golf course.
That unique sense of tension when your name is called at the starting hole.
And the lingering feeling of that 'perfect shot' that comes every once in a while.

No matter how many times we are knocked down, we aim for that green grass again.
Perhaps that is because, through the mirror of golf,
we are trying to love our own clumsy, yet earnest selves.

It is okay to fail.
I will go to the driving range again tomorrow, too.

There, you will find fellow golfers who struggle just like you and hold the same hopes.
The one ball you hit today will surely gently support you tomorrow.⛳

A question for you

Do you have your own personal routine in golf that makes you feel calm when you do it?

No matter how simple it may be, please share it in the comments.
It will surely be a support to some other golfer out there.😊