Month 2: Training with Intention

 

Right now, we are past the excitement of starting something new. This is where real growth happens.

 

Month 2 is not about dramatic breakthroughs or highlight-reel moments. It is about sharpening the details that separate casual golfers from competitors.

 

This month, our goals are simple:

• Build habits you can rely on under pressure

• Strengthen fundamentals until they become automatic

• Train your mind to stay calm, present, and disciplined

• Learn to embrace patient, “boring” work—because that is where champions are built

You will notice immediately that this month we are using only three clubs on the range:

• A wedge (gap wedge or pitching wedge)

• Your 7-iron

• Your driver

Why?

 

The wedge is about scoring and precision.
 

We are training control of contact, distance, trajectory, and feel. If you can control a wedge, every other club in the bag becomes easier. At our F.A.C.A. Coaches Clinic last Friday, one of the speakers made a point that really stuck with me: “You never want to make bogey when you’re inside 150 yards of the green. That distance is go time.”

 

The 7-iron tells the truth about your swing.
 

It exposes fundamentals—balance, swing path, clubface control, and strike quality. Your 7-iron is your baseline.

 

The driver is about confidence off the tee.
 

Here we build setup discipline, commitment, accuracy, and trust in your swing.

After ten minutes of stretching and getting loose, you will spend approximately six to eight minutes with each club. Nothing complicated. Focus on tempo, balance, and clean contact. Smooth. Simple. Intentional.

 

You will follow this workout for four weeks. If a specific part of your swing needs attention, dedicate a session to that area:

• Address

• Takeaway

• Backswing

• Top of the swing and transition

• Downswing

• Impact

• Follow-through

• Finish

 

 

Once in a while—about once a week—you may “play the course” on the range. Warm up briefly with each club, then imagine a real hole. Go through your full routine. Picture the shot. Make it feel real.

 

You might go:

• Driver → 7-iron → wedge

• Driver → wedge

• Driver → 7-iron

Let the imaginary hole dictate the sequence.

 

The goal is not to pound balls on the range. If you see people doing that, you might want to (but don’t) walk up and ask, “What are you working on?” Most will say, “My swing.” In reality, they are just hitting balls without intention.

 

That is not practice.

 

Practice has a purpose. Calm, deliberate swings. Clear focus. Quality over quantity—every single day.

 

January is about building repeatable mechanics, predictable ball flight, solid contact, and mental discipline.

 

We are not trying to master all 14 clubs at once. We are mastering the foundation—so when the season gets closer, everything else becomes more consistent.

 

The key this month is to show up with purpose. Treat practice like it matters. Respect the process. Be honest with yourself about your effort and your attitude. We are not copying the golfers around us. Stick to your plan—not theirs.

 

Because when the season arrives, the players who prepared with intention will be the ones who feel ready.

 

JANUARY — Build the Base

Goal: Establish consistent mechanics.

Frequency: 3 practice sessions per week + 1 9-holeround (if possible). Your goal is to play at least two 9-hole rounds during January. 

 

Range:

• 3-club practice: wedge, 7-iron, driver
• Alignment stick work - make sure your alignment is solid. Once it it - and unless it breaks down - you can put them away.
• 20-ball fairway finder drill:

Can be on the range or late in day on the course when it’s empty. use markes if on the range and try to hit your ball in the fairway. To add some pressure - do push-ups for each one missed. (Track your misses.) 

 

Putting:

- Circle drill (12 putts from 3 feet)

- Long-lag ladder (20–40 feet)

 

Chipping:

- One-handed chip drill (This is a tough one!)

- 10-ball up-and-down challenge

 

Rounds – One 9-hole a week if at all possible:

- Start to track GIR, FW hit, up-and-downs.

 

Sports Psychology - Topic One (From  Dr. Gio Valiante)Fear in Golf!

 

One of the biggest challenges golfers face isn’t the course — it’s fear. Fear of losing. Fear of a bad number. Fear of a tough shot or a clutch putt. Sometimes it’s even fear of who we’re playing with.

 

That fear comes from the brain’s ancient “fight-or-flight” system — the same response early humans relied on for survival. The problem is, the brain doesn’t always know the difference between real danger… and a six-footer to save par. So when pressure hits, the body releases stress chemicals that tighten muscles. Great for running. Not great for a golf swing.

 

But here’s the good news: fear and excitement feel almost identical to the brain.

 

Fear says: “This is bad.”
Excitement says: “This is big — and I’m ready.”

 

If we can flip the story in our heads, nerves become fuel instead of a barrier.

 

That shift matters, because fear shows up in subtle ways: tighter grip pressure, rushed swings, deceleration on touch shots. Relaxation restores rhythm, tempo, and trust — the foundation of great golf.

 

So what’s the antidote?

1) Prepare.
2) Trust your training.
3) Follow your routine.
4) Keep perspective.
5) It’s one shot — not your identity.

 

As you get reay for a shot, and your heart rate climbs, pause and remind yourself:

 

“I’m not nervous. I’m excited for this moment.”

 

Then breathe… ask "what's my target? what's my statagy?" Lighten the grip… commit and hit... Then take a deep breath and accept the outcome and move on. Do this on every single shot!