A Story About Nights Built on 'I Hit It Again'

"Confidence grows not through flashiness, but through repetition."

Confidence doesn't only come from days when you hit an amazing shot.
Perhaps true support grows in much quieter places.

Why I love the lights at the driving range

There is a unique atmosphere at the driving range at night.

The white light of the fluorescent lamps illuminates the hitting bay, while beyond the net, everything is sunk in darkness.
From the next bay over, the dry sound of a ball hitting the sweet spot echoes.

My own ball goes a little to the right, then a little to the left.

Even so, I pick up the club again.

I have always loved that quiet time.

It's not on a glamorous course, nor is it a round laughing with friends.
It's a weekday night, hitting balls silently all by myself.

Lately, I've come to deeply feel that those repetitions are what build a golfer's "true confidence."

That feeling of only feeling good on days when the driver hits well

"I'm in good form today!"

On days when I hit the driver on the sweet spot, I can go home feeling great. While gripping the steering wheel of my car, I even find myself thinking about my next round.

But the following week, when I gripped the same club, it curved sharply to the right.

Suddenly, the confidence I had just a moment ago deflates.

"Maybe that was just a fluke."
"Maybe I really don't have any talent after all."

Those voices buzz in my head.

This is my own story, too.

Even in my position as a coach, I get anxious when my own swing falls apart.
While telling my students "It's okay" during lessons, there are times when I think to myself, "Aren't you the one who's most panicked?"

Confidence in golf isn't really that sturdy of a thing.

That is precisely why relying solely on one good shot can make things a bit difficult.

About a student from last week

I have a student in her 60s.
She comes for lessons once a week.

One day, she put down her club, looked down slightly, and said quietly.

"Teacher, I'm not getting any better, am I?"

When I asked her why, she said, "I can't hit it as far as my friends, and I feel like I haven't changed at all."

But I could see it.

Compared to three months ago, her address is completely different.
Her backswing is also rotating properly to her shoulders.
Above all, the duffs that used to happen frequently have decreased significantly.

"Ms. A, you hit it properly today, too, didn't you?"

When I said that, there was a brief pause, and then,

"...Oh, that's right."
she said, and her expression softened suddenly.

It wasn't a flashy change.
But surely, "I hit it again" moments were accumulating.

I have seen stories like this many times during lessons.

There is a woman who started golf in her 60s to match her husband's hobby. At first, she could barely hit the driver 100 yards.

Even so, she continued calmly, once a week.

While laughing and saying, "It's not hitting well today," she would pick up the club again the following week.
When I said, "It flew a little further than before," she would smile as if a little embarrassed.

As she accumulated such time for two or three years, before she knew it, she was hitting her driver over 170 yards, and there are those who have come to play the most stable golf in their family.

It wasn't flashy from the beginning.

She just didn't quit.
She came again.
She hit it again.

That number of times quietly changed her golf.

The Misunderstanding of the Word 'Confidence'

We tend to think that confidence is born when we achieve something amazing.

When you hit it 300 yards.
When you make a birdie.
When your playing partner tells you, 'You're good.'

Of course, that feels good.

But that kind of confidence is surprisingly fragile. If it falls apart the next day, you feel like you're back to zero, or even worse, in the negative.

True support grows from much humbler places.

'My body moved a little better than yesterday.'
'I was able to come to practice again today.'
'I was able to move on from that mishit faster than before.'

The accumulation of such small facts.

'Confidence grows not through flashiness, but through repetition.'

The meaning of these words lies right there.

It's not about suddenly becoming great at something.
The number of times you say, 'I did it again,' slowly becomes a solid foundation.

One thing I want you to try starting today

After you finish practicing, I want you to write down just one small thing.

'Today, I checked my address carefully.'
'Today, I hit the sweet spot with a half-swing.'
'Today, I was able to come to the driving range again.'

That is enough.

It doesn't have to be about your score or your driving distance.

In three months, these small notes will become the fact that 'Oh, I really have kept at it.'

And that fact will become the root of a confidence that doesn't easily crumble.

A note in an app, a corner of your planner, or the back of a scorecard at the range. Anywhere is fine.

Just leave behind the record that 'I was able to hit again today.'

When leaving the practice range at night

Once the ball basket is empty, take off your glove and slowly stretch your fingers.

There is still a bit of sweat left, and the scent of the grip remains.
You cannot feel the grass under your feet, but the firmness of the mat tells you how many balls you hit today.

On your way home,

'I did it again today.'

If you can think that, then that is enough.

It is okay if you didn't hit a nice shot.
It is okay if it didn't fly as far as you thought it would.

That you were able to come again.
That you were able to hit again.

Those moments, little by little, make you a golfer.

There is no need to rush.

Confidence grows quietly with every time you continue.

What was a recent moment when you felt, 'I hit it again'?