Golfer SelfAssessment Worksheet

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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet

• Vision
• Assessment
• Planning
• Implementation
• Evaluation

Overview
The Self-Assessment uses a technique for
Continuous Improvement that focuses on a desired
future state, Where do you want to be? as
opposed to a critical look at the present state,
Where are you now? The differences between the
present and future states, the so-called Gaps
are the focus of improvement efforts. The first
step is the difficult one of establishing what it
is youre trying to accomplish. Yogi Berra told
us, If you dont know where youre going, you
might end up somewhere else. Break Par is a
goal. However, breaking par is the result of a
lot of attributes and behaviors. What is it you
want to be as a golfer? It involves the tough
questions of Why? The result of the effort is
greater awareness and a sharper focus towards a
more clearly defined, more encompassing goal.
Vision
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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet

• Vision
• Assessment
• Planning
• Implementation
• Evaluation

Overview
The differences between the present and future
states, the so-called Gaps are the focus of
improvement efforts. The Assessment vehicle is
the SWOT method Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities (and limitations), and Trends.
This produces a balanced look at the whole
picture as opposed to simply beating oneself up
for shortcomings. Opportunities and Limitations
discuss new possibilities in your golfing
experience. Whether that be a new course, new
equipment, or a new membership at a gym, these
are sources of energy for your game. Limitations
address items beyond your immediate control such
as limited playing time. Trends identify recent
directions in your game. Whats improved?
Whats declined?
Assessment
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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet

• Vision
• Assessment
• Planning
• Implementation
• Evaluation

Overview
Dwight Eisenhower said that the results of
Planning were less important than the awareness
that resulted from the endeavor and process of
planning. The exercise here is to identify how
you are going to close the gaps between where you
are and where you want to be. Frequently, at
this stage of the process, analysis of the
assessment is key. You have a weakness in some
element of your game. Why? Be aware that the
first time you ask Why? you will get the
symptom. You may have to ask that question 3 or
more times to get at the root cause of your
weakness. Once identified, planning is all about
charting improvement measures to fix the root
causes of the various weaknesses. Often, the
root cause of several weaknesses may be the same
lack of flexibility could be the cause of several
issues, for example
Planning
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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet

• Vision
• Assessment
• Planning
• Implementation
• Evaluation

Overview
Implementation is all about not getting lost
along the way. How will you know youre on
track? What measures, or metrics will you use to
gauge improvement on an ongoing basis?
Implementation is tying performance to an
improvement initiative. If the weakness was
Iron Play the improvement measure would be to
improve Iron accuracy. The approach might
involve online lessons, or improving contact via
various drills. As an implementation metric, you
would need something that isolated performance
with the irons Greens in Regulation from
fairway and Par 3s isolates the Irons and their
accuracy. Establish this metric and track it to
follow progress.
Implementation
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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet

• Vision
• Assessment
• Planning
• Implementation
• Evaluation

Overview
Evaluation
Evaluation involves periodic Self-Assessment.
When are you going to repeat this process?
Establish that date now. When you get there, the
implementation metrics will tell the story of how
successful the last improvement cycle was. Build
upon those successes and chart the next cycle of
improvement towards your own dimensions of
golfing excellence.
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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet

• Vision
• Establish a Vision or an ideal future state
  for yourself as a golfer. A vision is more
  encompassing than a goal, especially a numerical
  goal. It should include as many elements of
  internal and external perspective as you find
  necessary to paint an accurate picture of where
  you want to be as a golfer. Be sure to include
  mental dimensions and demeanor within your
  vision. Keep the vision to no more than three
  sentences. The vision is yours alone and may
  change over time.
• One place to look for possible dimensions of a
  Vision is on the last page of this Worksheet
  package, Areas for Consideration. Pull that
  sheet and have it handy throughout the
  Assessment.
• Heres one example of a golfers Vision.
• That I will be a competent and confident golfer
  who plays to a scratch handicapone who is
  mentally tough and resilient yet a pleasure with
  whom to share a round.

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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet
Assessment

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities and Limitations
• Trends

• Attribute Ranking

Before we begin with Strengths and Weaknesses,
pull out the Areas for Consideration sheet
from the back of the Worksheet package. For each
area, assign a numerical rating between 1
(LOW-Completely lacking or incompetent) to 10
(HIGH-PGA Tour-Quality Strength), with 5 being
Average. The average handicap is an 18. You
dont have to assign any item a 1 or a 10
rating. However, each should be evaluated as
objectively as possible with the realization that
all of this is somewhat subjective. For Stat
Tracker items, use the PGA Tour figures on the
web page for comparisons. Some items are less
open to a wide range of rankings. For those
areas where a Yes/No answer appears to be
appropriate, assign a 7 for Yes and a 2 for No.
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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet
Assessment

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities and Limitations
• Trends

• Strengths

List the top four items from your Rankings of the
Areas for Consideration. If there are more than
four items evenly ranked, select on the basis of
feel and confidence.

• ___________________
• ___________________
• ___________________
• ___________________

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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet
Assessment

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities and Limitations
• Trends

Weaknesses
List the four lowest ranked items from your
Rankings of the Areas for Consideration. If
there are more than four items evenly ranked,
select on the basis of feel and confidence.

• ___________________
• ___________________
• ___________________
• ___________________

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• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities and Limitations
• Trends

Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet
Assessment
Opportunities Limitations
Def Opportunities are within personal
control Limitations are beyond feasible,
foreseeable change, e.g. Can only play on
weekends, Bad Back, etc.

• ___________________
• ___________________
• ___________________
• ___________________

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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet
Assessment

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities and Limitations
• Trends

Trends
Whats improving? Whats declining? No minimum
required. Four Maximum.

• ___________________
• ___________________
• ___________________
• ___________________

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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet
Planning

• Now weve arrived at the So what are you going
  to do about it? stage. Before you can answer
  How?, its necessary to understand the Why
  for each weakness. If its simply lack of
  practice, then the planning should call for
  increased practice, or a re-organization of
  practice efforts. Some weaknesses are going to
  require 3 or 4 doses of the Why? question to
  get at the root cause, however.
• You may find it a valuable exercise to write each
  of your bulleted Strengths and Weaknesses into a
  sentence.
• A few cautions
• Be aware of the I cant phrase. I cant drive
  the ball 300 yards is a poor weakness statement.
  I can only drive the ball 240 yards provides
  an opportunity for improvement.
• On the other hand, I cant sink a four-foot
  putt or I cant hit the ball above my feet are
  statements of self-imposed limitations. If you
  can hit the ball off of a flat lie, you can hit
  it above your feet with the right technique. Any
  I cant statement concerning your play that
  cant be restated into a weakness statement with
  opportunity for improvement represents a big hole
  in your golf. Red-circle that and get outside
  help in the form of a lesson as soon as
  practical.

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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet
Planning

• Craft initiatives that are SMART
• Specific
• Measurable
• Actionable
• Reachable
• Timely
• It does no good to write, Get better. Make
  the initiatives as specific and focused as
  possible.

• (Weakness 1) _____________________
• (Weakness 2) _____________________
• (Weakness 3) _____________________
• (Weakness 4) _____________________

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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet
Implementation
For each improvement initiative from Planning,
list one on-going measure to gauge successful
implementation. These should be very specific
and track-able. For example, for the initiative
Improve Iron Play, the measure could be Improve
Greens in Regulation from Fairway and on Par-3s
from 8 per round to 10 per round.
Implementation is not a Why? or How? Its
simply a measure.

• (Initiative 1) _____________________
• (Initiative 2) _____________________
• (Initiative 3) _____________________
• (Initiative 4) _____________________

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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet
Evaluation

• Establish date for next Assessment 4 or 6 month
  intervals are recommended.

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Golfer Self-AssessmentWorksheet
Areas for Consideration

• Stat Tracker
• Player Rating
• Greens in Reg.
• Fairways
• Putts per Round
• Putting Avg.
• One Putts
• Three Putts
• Sand Saves
• Birdies
• Eagles
• Scrambling
• Bogies
• Double Bogies
• Triple Bogies
• Others
• Equipment
• Age

• Fitness
• Weight
• Flexibility
• Stamina
• Balance
• Exercise Regimen
• Evaluated by TPI-certified Trainer
• Mental Game
• Internal Dialogue
• Confidence
• Ego
• Mushin
• Breath Watching
• Competition
• Fun
• Anger
• Practice
• Periodicity