New Year. New Focus. Same Goal: Better Scoring.

A new year always brings new resolutions. Golfers promise to practice more, score better, and finally clean up the part of their game that costs them the most strokes.

But if there’s one thing years of teaching and playing this game have shown, it’s this: the biggest improvements rarely come from adding more drills, swing thoughts, or complexity. They come from simplifying what you already do.

Inside the scoring zone, clarity matters more than creativity.

And the habit that quietly lowers scores faster than almost anything else is this:

Play the first shot you see — and stop negotiating with yourself.

🔍 Why Too Many Options Hurt Your Short Game

Around the green, golfers often talk themselves out of good shots:

• switching clubs at the last second

• debating height versus rollout

• trying to “help” the ball instead of striking it

By the time the club moves, the mind is cluttered — and clutter leads to tentative contact.

The result usually isn’t a disaster.
It’s a shot that comes up short… runs out too far… or feels like it never had a real chance.

🧭 The Habit: Pick Early, Swing Free

Strong short-game players don’t search for the perfect option. They commit to a simple, repeatable choice and let their motion take over.

Their process is quiet:

1. Identify a landing spot

2. Choose the simplest shot to reach it

3. Swing with rhythm — not rescue

Once the decision is made, the body moves freely. No steering. No last-second adjustments.

🏗️ A Simple Way to Practice This

The next time you practice around the green, try this:

• Drop 10 balls in different lies.

• As soon as you step into each shot, pick the club and shot type within five seconds.

• No second guesses. No changing clubs.

• Hit the shot you chose — and accept the result.

You’ll notice cleaner contact, better speed control, and far less tension — not because your technique changed, but because your mind did.

⚙️ Why This Habit Works

When the mind simplifies, the body organizes itself.

A clear decision:

• smooths out tempo

• improves strike

• sharpens distance control

• and builds trust under pressure

It’s why great wedge players look calm — even when the shot is difficult.

⭐ Key Takeaway

You don’t need more shots, more thoughts, or more adjustments.

You need fewer decisions — made earlier.

As you set your golf intentions for the new year, make simplicity your resolution. Trust the first picture you see, swing with freedom, and let your short game do the scoring.

That’s how good rounds quietly turn into great ones — without changing your swing.